


Until the Sun Rises

by RareAbsurdity



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Drama, Future OC use, Future SebaCiel, Gen, Paranormal, Supernatural - Freeform, Suspense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-27
Updated: 2020-01-03
Packaged: 2020-10-29 07:06:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 31,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20792627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RareAbsurdity/pseuds/RareAbsurdity
Summary: Ciel Phantomhive has been permanently stripped of his title as Guard Dog. With Sebastian at his eternal side, will he be able to solve the supernatural havoc across Europe? (Takes place after Season II.)





	1. Prologue

Cerulean eyes fluttered open in the dark room. Musty blankets pulled to his face, the young earl turned to lay on his back, looking at the nicotine stained ceiling. His sleep had been sound only due to his exhaustion and healing wounds - noises of distant yelling and barking would have kept him awake had it been any other night.

"Good morning, young master." Sebastian's voice broke the immediate silence from a chair next to the window. His voice lacked the usual pleasant tone, standing to draw the mismatched curtains apart. Light poured into the room, revealing the stained carpets and dust that floated through the room. Ciel was silent for a few minutes.

"Sebastian, I-"

"I don't wish to hear your apologies," Sebastian said shortly, cutting him off. "We cannot change the past." Ciel turned his head to look at the butler.

"You had no idea what I was going to say, you cocky bastard," Ciel scoffed as he sat up from the twin sized bed, swinging his legs over the side. "I wish to be dressed, I'm quite hungry. I ate nothing last night." Sebastian finished tucking the curtains into their holders before he came around the side of the bed to begin undressing the lord. "Besides, why would I apologize? I don't want this any more than you do."

"And yet, here we are." Sebastian unwrapped the gauze that was packed on the boy's side, throwing away the used material before retrieving another from the nightstand drawer.

"In a dirty motel as my estate is rebuilt once more? Or in the predicament of you harboring your ill feelings toward me unnecessarily?" Ciel retorted, looking at his own wounds. They were still new, blood dried across every slash mark.

"I have no ill feelings toward you. To others, perhaps," Sebastian said, dabbing away at the wounds with a damp clean towel. "I waited 3 long years to be robbed."

"You should have taken it while you could," Ciel said bitterly, "You were the fool."

"Was it me?" Sebastian paused the dabbing, looking at the boy. "Was I the fool for allowing you the closure you deserved and not ending the contract? I could have done so after the encounter with that damn angel and yet, I knew it would be wrong to allow you to believe it killed your parents. I sauntered around as your right hand bitch for another year before you were even on the right track to finding the correct culprit and still you managed to fail. I had such belief in you that you were different than other humans but you are not- you allow your emotions to cloud your judgement and create scenarios in which you are never the bad guy. You allowed an absolute creep to take what was rightfully mine and pretended to be naive about the entire ordeal, knowing damn well that this is what it would lead to!" Sebastian was standing by this point, in the young earl's face. The anger he had suppressed over the last few days over Ciel's soul being stolen from under his nose was seeping from every pore in his skin, each word dripping in poison. "Furthermore, Astra-"

A loud slap rang through the room, cutting the next words from Sebastian's lip.

"I told you to never speak that name again. I don't care how angry you are, it isn't because of me. Get out of my sight - send one of the others in to dress me." If looks could kill, Sebastian's amber eyes would have demolished the young child to dust in that very moment. "This instance, Sebastian!"

"Yes, my lord." Sebastian's voice was flat and toneless as he took a step back from Ciel, flattening out his vest, and taking his leave. A few moments later, a tall blond fellow entered the room with a knock.

"Young Master, you called for me?"

"Uh, yes Bardroy. Please finish dressing my wounds and myself, Sebastian required a break."

"Ain't that odd," Bard scratched his head and stared at the gauze and medical tape on the bed next to him for a moment before going to work. It wasn't the first wound Bard had dressed, but it definitely was the first that he had seen Ciel in the morning time before he was already dressed for the day. "How'd ya get these?"

"I was playing with a stray dog. I touched his ears and he became aggressive," Ciel half heartedly explained, leaning backwards on his arms to give him more room to work.

Undergarments, pants, shirt, socks, and shoes were laced and buttoned accordingly in their own time, Bard obviously unused to dressing someone other than himself. Ciel brushed his own hair, dismissing Bard with the invitation to breakfast with him at a diner down the street from the motel.

With the following moments that Ciel spent by himself, he sat down on the end of the bed with his legs dangling off the side. He stared directly into the vanity mirror across from him, pulling off his eyepatch to stare at the soft glowing mark. Ciel took a very deep breath as he felt his chest well up and throat ache, his eyes welling with involuntary tears. It wasn't often that Ciel cried - he could count on one hand how many times this feeling washed over him over the last few years. This was the first time it wasn't because of his parents.

The Phantomhive name was over as his previous generations knew it. No longer did he hold the title of Guard Dog, no longer was his place by the Queen's side, no longer was his future set in stone the way he accepted when he formed this stupid contract. His mansion had been destroyed - again - out of pure hatred, with the intent to destroy the only three humans that truly protected him unconditionally while he was visiting the Trancy Estate. His memory of his time there was so clouded and manipulated that he had no proper recollection - he only remembered the searing pain in his head from Sebastian's unadulterated anger as he woke.

None of this was truly Ciel's fault - or was it? The boy wiped his eyes with the inside of his wrists. He had done all of the damage he did in hopes that he would avenge his family name, his brother, even Aunt Red. He disregarded so many insignificant people as pawns but only to become one himself. He was never the King, maybe the bishop at best.

Despite this, the Funtom Company was still alive and profitable. There were three humans willing to sacrifice their own life and well being for Ciel. There was a beautiful girl waiting for his adulthood to be taken into marriage by Ciel. The icing on the cake, no doubt, was the lifelong servitude by a demon for the end of this eternity. He could right his wrongs, if he wanted to.

Clenching his fists, Ciel stood from the bed and straightened out his outfit, tying the patch behind his head. "You're still by my side, forever this time," Ciel hissed through his teeth, taking his walking stick from the chair as he made his leave.


	2. New Beginnings

Two years had passed since the events at the Trancy Mansion. The rebuilding of the Phantomhive Estate took less time than originally planned, built once more as the same layout as the original building. Ciel made sure to take each of the servants out to the town to pick out clothing, refurbished furniture, and a few low-cost paintings for their own use.

The Funtom Corporation was still doing well, despite the hiccup in management at a few branches while Ciel had been unreachable. The earl had finally made the reach to Roze Diamond Company to produce jewelry, converting one of the three sister locations of his own corporation to be a manufacturer. The new brand, Funtom Roze, specialized in recreations and refurbishing of generationally passed jewelry that had been lost or damaged.

Ciel spent most of his days reading, being in lessons, taking his tea breaks outside. The routine, while boring and relentless, was comforting to him - not having to think about doing things differently, not having to think about his new life, not having to worry about being watched from the garden by his opposers. He made frequent trips to other European countries to make appearances for the collaboration company, meeting with other business leaders or with his own crews. Ciel would ignore the newspapers brought to him every breakfast, using it as a coaster for his drinks.

"My Lord, are you even paying attention?" The sound of a ruler cracking onto the desk snapped Ciel from his daydream, shifting his eyes from the open book up to his butler.

"Yes, I am," Ciel said, sitting up correctly in his chair, dropping the hand that held his chin.

"What was the last thing I said?"

"The last thing you said, are you truly patronizing me?" Ciel accused, having absolutely no idea what the last thing Sebastian said was. The butler gave a sigh as he took off his glasses (Did he actually need them or was it just for show?) and stuffed them in the front pocket.

"I believe it would be beneficial if you took a break for tea," Sebastian said with a hint of annoyance. It wasn't the first time today that Sebastian had an attitude with him today. With a small humph, Ciel stood from the chair and went to enjoy his tea on the patio.

As the young boy walked passed the dining room, he could hear the whispers of the servants. Ciel paused by the ajar door out of curiosity, lining his ear with the crack of the door.

"I just can't believe it. I didn't know that wolves were still rampant in cities," Bard's voice said, the creak of a chair following his statement.

"What if it was murder?" Finnian gave a soft gasp after his own question. "I mean, if he really was that hurt-"

"Don't be silly! Obviously someone trained the wolves, you can't charge dogs with murder-"

"What is going on in here?" Ciel asked, pushing open the door to interrupt Mey Rin. All three of them gasped, Bard standing quickly from the chair.

"Y-Young master!" They exclaimed, Bard shifting something behind his back.

"What are you talking about, a murder?" Ciel gestured his hand to Bard with an open palm. Bard looked over at the others, who raised their eyebrows at him as if to say, Go on! Looking back at the earl, he gave a half smile as he handed over the item behind his back.

Ciel took the newspaper from Bard's hand. The front headline, bold in center, read: BAKERY OWNER FOUND DEAD. The photo beneath was of Henry Griffin, the owner of a bakery called Pastry Perfect in downtown London. Giving a small frown, Ciel began to read the article attached.

Harry Griffin (pictured above) was found very early in the morning on November 23rd on a back road not far from his home. Authorities say the attack was most likely done by larger-than-average wolves, and warn the people of London if they wish to travel alone. It is strongly advised for those traveling to carry any measure of defense. The Metropolitan Police Service is offering a reward for those who can find and exterminate these wolves - forensic examination will eliminate those attempting to scam the MPS.

Ciel stopped reading the article, looking up at the servants. He handed over the paper to Bard, thanking him for giving him the paper before he turned his heel and left. On the way out, Mey Rin whispered to the other two, "Maybe it was too much for the earl."  
Ciel walked out to the patio, taking a seat at the far end of the small table outside. The patio itself was home to a small table and chair set, a small rug in the center of the wooden floors, and a plethora of hanging pots that grew herbs for the kitchen. The entire patio was surrounded by a mesh lining to prevent insects or spiders from entering the patio, a door on the right hand side with stairs leading to the pathway for the garden. From the patio one could see the majority of the garden, which was mostly unbloomed this time of year. The grass was cut to the same length for as far as the eye could see.

"Are you ready for tea, my lord?" Sebastian asked, opening the internal patio door to bring the tea cart with him. When Ciel gave no response other than a gaze to the garden, Sebastian began pouring tea and serving the sliver of cake to accompany it. "Today you'll be having a yellow tea, served with a Battenberg Cake."

"Battenberg?"

"Yes, my lord. It's essentially marzipan with almonds and apricot jam."

"Very well," Ciel said, breaking gaze to look at the yellow tea resting in the chinaware. He took a small sip of the tea, returning the cup to the saucer. "Sebastian, do you remember Henry Griffin?" He watched as a small smirk came across the butler's face.

"Indeed I do, young master. Why do you ask?"

"I think you know why I'm asking. I wish to investigate this case," Ciel said, leaning back in the cushioned patio chair. "It's been a while since we did any sort of investigations, let alone without the Queen's title. What do you make of that?"

"I think this case would be an interesting one to say the least." Sebastian was looking out to the garden, but Ciel knew he was staring at him through his peripheral vision. "What do you know of the case thus far?"

"He was attacked on the roads back to his home. Scotland Yard claims it was mere wolves but," Ciel shook his head, "I don't believe that for a second. I need to know what types of wounds were truly found in the corpse before I can make any deductions."

"How do you plan on finding that, without your title from the Queen? I'm sure they merely see you as a child," Sebastian teased lightly, causing a scowl from Ciel as he sipped his tea.

"I'm sure we can manage some sort of ruse. What is your best suggestion, sneaking peeks at the evidence room or facing the security head on?"

"Head on would create a public sighting of you, but would be easier to see the room, less risk of any surprise security to disarm." Sebastian watched the earl take a bite of the cake. "Sneaking in would prevent anyone from knowing your interest in this case, but would create the problem of trespassing and breaking in and entering if you were to be caught."

The young earl ate the cake in silence, enjoying the crisp chilly breeze of autumn air with his tea. He set down his fork on the saucer when he was done, sliding it to the butler as he stood up. "We'll leave tonight then, no later than midnight." Ciel stepped passed his butler, ignoring the smirk that crept on his face.

"Yes, my lord."


	3. Not-So-Planned Plan

Moonlight spilled over the streets of London, dimly lighting the occasional cloaked figures and silhouettes of four-legged animals in the streets. Main roads had lit lanterns lined on the sidewalk, the flame standing out against the black sky. The breeze from midday had subsided by now, and most of the population of the busy city had been long asleep.

Ciel and Sebastian walked quietly in the back alleyway, each silent and taking care not to trip over uneven cobblestones. Ciel was dressed in a long-sleeved black turtleneck and black shorts that covered all but his shins and below, long socks and his shoes with a soft cloth attached to the heel to quiet the clicks of his steps. Sebastian was dressed similarly, his usual white button-up replaced with a black undershirt and his tailcoat left to hang in the closet at home.

Ciel stopped around the corner from the front entrance of the Scotland Yard central office, gesturing for Sebastian to stake out the security around the building. With a single nod, Sebastian went down another alleyway adjacent to where they stood as the boy took a seat on the ground next to half-full trash bins.

Sebastian started at the rear of the building. Taking his time to be as least suspicious as possible, he checked the right of the brick building, and then the left, before walking passed the front on the left-hand side toward the alley that Ciel waited in. He helped Ciel up with a hand before walking further down the alley to speak without being heard.

"Well?"

"There is one security person at the front of the building. Through the glass doors, you can see another two persons in the lobby but they look to be asleep at the desk," Sebastian said in a hushed tone. "The back of the building as two windows I could lift you two. I wasn't able to look inside without making enough noise to be inspected, but they look locked - I could bust the locks, but that might alert the men at the front."

Ciel furrowed his eyebrows slightly, staring at the cobblestone beneath him as he pictured the layout his butler was describing. "What about the left and the right sides?"

"Larger windows that I was able to peer into. They look empty for the evening, and there are definitely are candles to be lit inside. Unfortunately, they don't look like they're able to be opened from the outside. We would have to break them to enter, so the only two real option is the back." Sebastian watched the young earl's face as he thought deeply about their options.

"I think we should go through the front," Ciel said. Sebastian raised an eyebrow at him, not necessarily asking for an explanation, but Ciel continued anyway. "You go to the back and break the lock. If the noise is loud enough to have the guards look at what's going on, they'll look to the back, leaving the front open to go through. If there are two people inside I doubt they'll lock the doors, especially with the safety of a guard. If the noise isn't loud enough for him to look, then we'll continue from the back."

A small grin tugged at the corner of Sebastian's lips. "What a delightful plan, my lord. Are you ready to begin?" Ciel nodded, stepping away from Sebastian to stand at the building corner to wait for the beginning of their plan.

Only a minute passed before a loud ding rang out, breaking the silence in the streets. Ciel peered around the corner, watching the security guard stand up from leaning against the wall next to the door to begin walking to the back of the building, a gun being drawn by his right hand. Ciel waited until he was out of sight before quickly walking to the building, pulling on the door handle. The door swung open with ease, allowing the earl to slip inside and guide it shut without a sound.

Ciel observed the inside of the lobby. From the entrance, the large semicircle desk was built on the right side with two chairs behind it. Both chairs were filled by two people, one leaning back in the chair and the other leaned forward with their head in their arms. The UK flag hung from a short flagpole behind the chairs next to a portrait of Queen Victoria. Two load-bearing columns, one on the far side of the room and one close to the door, created the only sort of cover in the room. A small row of chairs stood facing the desk on the left side, with Ciel crouched behind them. Behind Ciel was a short bookcase for what looked like books, magazines, small potted plants, and other odds and ends that ran along the entire left side. On his hands and knees, Ciel crawled behind the chairs quietly, panicking only when his shoe nudged the last chair, causing a screek to ring throughout the room.

The young earl took cover behind one of the columns by the swinging door that led to the hallway, back pressed against it as he listened for the snores of the two persons to resume. Giving a small peek around the column to ensure safety, Ciel quickly crawled through the swinging door, guiding it shut as he did with the glass door. In this area, Ciel stood up but aligned himself against the wall, taking quiet steps as he made his way down the hallway.

Each doorway was labeled. The first few doors were labeled "Interrogation Room" with different letters following. Ciel stepped into one of these rooms, using his hands to guide him in the dark before he knocked over a candle that sat on the far end of the table. A few mutters of profanities followed as he pulled out the small box of matches from his shorts pocket that Sebastian had given him before they left the manor. Finding and lighting the candle, Ciel stepped back out into the hallway to begin looking for the Evidence Room. The next several doors were labeled with things such as "Water Closet", "Storage", and a wide set of doors labeled "Cafeteria". Another set of wide doors at the end of the hallway adorned the label "Offices".

The earl took his next steps into the swinging door set labeled "Offices". The hallway had doors on either side, each one labeled with the names of different detectives and their titles. Ciel peered into the windows looking into the offices, each one having a similar setup - chair behind a desk, some sort of candelabra, and usually a photo frame presumably of a family member or loved one.

The very end of this hallway led to a short perpendicular hallway. The door on the right was labeled "Evidence Room", so Ciel turned the knob to the door and carefully pushed it open. The inside of this room was large, rows of filing cabinets with different marked labels on the front standing solemnly in the pitch-black room. The light from the single candle in the earl's hand showed him tables on either side of the room with photos, documents, inks, and fountain pens put away for the evening. After a small amount of sorting and looking, Ciel discovered that the filing cabinets were dated for 7 years, not in any particular order, and were internally sorted alphabetically by the last name. All cases that had an unknown or unclaimed victim were set at the very last set of filing cabinets by chronological order.

Ciel found the case file spread out on one of the tables underneath a window that Sebastian had told him about earlier. Setting the candle down on a candlestick, Ciel began to gather all of the evidence from his files into one pile. He found a written statement from the original finder of Mr. Griffin, a detailed explanation of wounds with sketches, and a few documents entailing any witness statements that had seen any sort of beast in the last month even if unrelated altogether. The earl read through everything that seemed relevant, taking notes on a blank piece of paper he found for anything that was specifically interesting and unique for this case.

Suddenly, Ciel heard footsteps. He licked his thumb and forefinger, snuffing out the candle before he took cover underneath the table behind a wide filing cabinet. The doors that Ciel entered through shortly opened, two pairs of footsteps entering the room.

"I can't imagine why the noise would be from in here, Theodore," One man's voice said, his steps walking into the center of the room. Ciel could see his legs.

"Well, it wasn't from outside so it's gotta be from inside, right?"

The unnamed man said, "It might've been a damn cat for all you know. You take this job way too seriously. You stand out front, you let Charles and I do the night shift inside. It's really that simple." Ciel watched him walk to the table he had just been at. "What's this?" The sound of papers rustling made Ciel realized he had left his note sheet at the table. The silence that followed had Ciel's heart pounding so loud in his ears he was convinced they could hear it too. "Theodore?"

"Yeah Jacob?"

"Lock the front doors. I think we might have a rat in here."


	4. Bath and Some First Aid

Ciel held his breath as all three men stood in the same room as him. Time seemed to move slowly, each second ticking away to bring nausea-filled anxiety louder in the boy's stomach. It wasn't that Ciel was necessarily afraid of harm being done to him, rather he didn't want to order anyone to death over knowing who he was. Any sort of scandal of Ciel breaking the law would be the end of whatever corporate empire he was building.

"I'm sure the rat hasn't gone too far," Jacob said. The shadows indicated that all three of them held candles, one of which being the one Ciel brought in the room. "You get the left rooms, and you get the right rooms. I'll check the front and I'll check this room, and the Forensic Room," Jacob continued, gesturing with his hand toward the door as Theodore and Charles left to inspect their designated rooms. After what seemed like an eternity, Jacob left the room as well.

Letting out a shaky breath, Ciel slid himself from underneath the table. Folding his notes up and stuffing them into his inside pants pocket, Ciel climbed onto the table to push on the window. A small clunk gave him the knowledge that the lock Sebastian knocked off was in the other room, the one Ciel didn't check the sign for. He climbed off of the table, going to the other side of the room to open the door to the hallway.

Ciel stepped out into the hallway, guiding the door shut. He peaked his head around the corner. Seeing nobody down the hall, Ciel crawled across the opening to the other doorway. He stood up, still crouched, and opened the door to the room.

Stepping inside the cold room, Ciel fumbled to find his tinderbox for a match as he walked forward. He walked into something that stopped him at the hips at the same time that he found the tinderbox. A small strike of the match and Ciel instantly regretted lighting it.

Ciel had run into a long table on wheels that held up a body, recognized by the boy as Henry Griffin. Large and deep slash wounds covered his torso and stomach, giving any audience the ability to see his entrails. Dark-colored bruising was set on his hands, legs, and face in golfball-sized circles, lacerations on his forearms showing tendons. Several of his fingers and toes were broken in the wrong directions. Nausea from the anxious situation not even five minutes earlier made its way up Ciel's throat, the boy covering his mouth to prevent the vomit from ending up on the floor. A disgusting swallow was interrupted by Ciel being yanked backward.

"So we do have a bloody rat," Jacob's voice hissed, Ciel being thrown to the floor. The boy quickly covered his face, the match being put out as it fell on the floor. Ciel tried to stand, using one hand to hold the turtleneck material over all but his left eye to see, before he was kicked back to the floor. The force of the kick pushed him further back from the window, which gave a soft, dim light of hope on the other side of the room. "I bet you're the one who did this to Henry, ain't ya? Come to ruin any evidence against ya?"

Ciel tried again to stand, unable to truly see what was happening without a match or candlelight. He felt a hand in his hair, his locks being twisted in his hands as he was forcefully pulled from the ground. Jacob held him at a higher height than his normal standing height, forcing Ciel to stand on his toes and not get a good enough footing to fight against him. A soft whimper came from the boy from the pulsing ache in his scalp.

"I guess you're not so tough now, whining like baby," Jacob taunted as he pulled Ciel toward the corpse. "Being held accountable for your crimes against London and her people," He let out a loud laugh as he shoved Ciel's face onto the corpse. The overwhelming stench of the body made him gag, this time unable to control the vomit that spewed from his mouth on the inside of his shirt. Regaining his footing, Ciel found a medical tool to fit in his hand by the side of the corpse. He threw his elbow backward, landing it into the chest region of Jacob.

Jacob let out an oof as his grip on Ciel's hair became loose from the unexpected assault. Ciel used this moment of weakness to jab the medical tool, which turned out to be a scalpel, into the stomach of his aggressor. This attack made the taller man let go of Ciel altogether, giving Ciel to an opportunity to escape. Pushing the table aside, Ciel took a few running steps before jumping onto the sturdy table underneath the window. He used his right hand to shove open the small window open, letting go of the turtleneck to pull himself up. The earl was able to get about stomach length out of the window, seeing a crouched Sebastian across the way in another alley. "H-Hey!" Ciel loudly whispered to get his attention. He realized that Sebastian was playing with a damn cat!

A hand grabbed Ciel's ankle from inside of the building, yanking him inside as he felt a sharp pain in his calf. Ciel let out a yelp, which gained the attention of the butler. Ciel could hear the man inside yelling as he tried to kick his hand away, trying to get the others to this room to pull Ciel inside. The butler approached the window quickly, taking a step with ease onto the top of a trashcan to reach him. A small eyebrow furrow was given at the smell of the vomit, but grabbed Ciel by his shoulders and gave a firm tug to pull him outside.

Now standing in the alley, Ciel started to walk towards the direction of the manor, only taking two steps before his leg gave way. Looking down, the boy saw the same medical tool from before sticking out of his calf, blood dripping on the handle and down his leg. He heard the butler chuckle behind him before he was picked up. Ciel hissed, "Let me go you fool."

"Seems like you've got yourself in quite the predicament, Young Master," Sebastian said, holding him like a parent would a child as he began to walk down the nearest alleyway. "Would you care to explain why you have, for a lack of better words, soiled your turtleneck?"

"I don't wish to talk about it at this moment," Ciel muttered, realizing that trying to walk at the brisk pace Sebastian was was impossible while he was wounded. After about 20 minutes of walking, Sebastian began to set the earl inside of the carriage before he was stopped. "I don't want to sit in there, I reek."

"As you wish, my lord," Sebastian said, shutting the door with one hand. He set him on top of the carriage with the other before climbing on top. Ciel stared at the two horses in front of them as Sebastian tugged the reins in motion to begin the ride home. "Do you wish to spend this time enlightening me on what happened to you?"

"Gladly," Ciel muttered. With a deep breath, he leaned back into the seat. "I found the evidence room without much interruption, but the noise you had created had spooked the outside security, especially so when he couldn't find the culprit of the noise. His name was Theodore," Ciel began, looking up at the spotted sky. "I had foolishly left my notes on the table - one of the guards from inside the building, Jacob, had done a small sweep of the place, I'm assuming on request of Theodore. The only suspicious thing was the note. That's how they knew I was there." A small silence fell from Ciel. He was admittedly incredibly exhausted.

"And then?" Sebastian prompted after a few moments.

"Then they locked the front doors. They knew someone was inside. They left the room I was in. The window in that room was still locked so I knew the opposite room was the one with a broken lock. I avoided Theodore and the other officer, Charles I believe was his name, because they were instructed to check the other rooms. It's almost as if he knew that's where I was headed next," Ciel dug in his pocket to retrieve the notes. "And that's exactly where I went. I couldn't see a damn thing so I lit a match and I saw him."

"Him?"

"Mr. Griffin. He was on a table, mostly undressed, all of his wounds were much worse than they described in the paper. I mean, obviously so, most people cannot handle the truth of these details. All I wanted to do was leave, it was so disgusting and startling to see it all at once, but he was in there - Jacob, I mean. He knew I was there. He grabbed me, it felt like he was pulling chunks of my hair out by how he held me. He pushed my face into the corpse - I grabbed whatever I could find to stop him from holding me any longer. The smell was horrendous. Worse than I've ever smelled before, it just violated every inch of my nose and the back of my throat," Ciel shuddered, feeling a swirling nausea feeling as he recollected the details. "When I went to leave, he grabbed me and put this in my fucking -"

"Language, sir."

"In my bloody leg." Ciel sent a glare in Sebastian's direction. "All the while, you were playing with a cat."

Sebastian's lips turned into a grin. "Not once did you call me by name. I would have been by your side in a heartbeat if you needed me."

"You act like you don't know my emotions."

"I tend not to indulge in that," Sebastian said simply with a soft shrug of the shoulders. "Why should I? Your emotions mean nothing to me." Ciel furrowed his eyebrows a little bit at that, refusing to say anything about that in return. He knew that pressing the conversation would end poorly, so he remained silent. "When we return home I'll run a bath for you, as well as a snack. I'm sure you're peckish."

"I'm not hungry at all. I just wish for a bath and some first aid," Ciel said blandly, recognizing the outside of his estate grounds.

The carriage was parked out front, given to pajama-wearing Finnian to put away. Ciel limped up the stairs, forbidding Sebastian to carry him in front of anyone. He sat next to the bath, not waiting for his butler to take off his clothing. Instead, he peeled off each layer with disgust, letting it fall in a pile on the floor. The earl could no longer smell the vomit on himself but knew it was absolutely putrid. The sound of Sebastian's voice startled him, "Could you not wait, my lord?"

"You took too long," Ciel said as he watched the butler run the bath for him. "I was simmering in my own vomit, I'm sure you would love to be forced to endure that."

"I suppose your own vomit is better than someone else's vomit, my lord," Sebastian teased as he removed his gloves and rolled up his sleeves. He kneeled in front of the earl, picking up his injured leg to look at the wound. Using a clean washcloth, Sebastian applied pressure to the area above the wound before pulling the scalpel out with a single tug. A suppressed squeal left Ciel's mouth, biting onto his tongue. Sebastian helped Ciel into the bath, elevating his leg to be propped on the side of the tub. "Comfortable?"

"As much as it will be," Ciel muttered, sinking into the hot water to his neck. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and relaxing further. "Return in a few minutes, Sebastian. I wish to relax alone."

"Yes, my lord," Sebastian said from behind Ciel, turning heel and leaving the boy to be secluded.

During his time of momentary solitude, Ciel thought of how his investigation would continue the next day. Perhaps he would offer Sebastian the notes he wrote along with the wound documentation he stole after breakfast, seeing what his butler's opinion on the next steps should be. Although, Sebastian never particularly gave him his real thoughts, only suggestions based on ease for Ciel. Why was that? Did Sebastian not care about these cases for the sake of solving them, or did he only care about the result of his soul? How silly to think of that considering his soul was too tainted to have now. Was that the reason that Sebastian was short with him yesterday? The more Ciel thought, the more he realized that Sebastian had been increasingly moodier than normal. Their last trip to France had broken into an argument at the hotel room they were temporarily staying at over what Ciel was and wasn't doing with his time there. Did Sebastian care too much? Or was that a facade to make Ciel believe he did?

If that were the case, why did Sebastian stay by his side the way he did? If his soul were no longer here, why did he not do away with his life and end the contract between them? If the opportunity arose to that, was Ciel certain in what he would choose? Perhaps his demon knew Ciel better than himself, prolonging that event to torture Ciel. Demons do not feel emotions the same bothersome way humans do, or at least that's what Sebastian boasted about in every chance he received. There was no way that Sebastian hadn't taken a peek once in a while into Ciel's mind - he practically admitted during the ride home that he could listen to his emotions any time he wanted, so what prevented him from listening to his thoughts as well?

And why did Ciel care so much about that stupid butler, anyway? Why did he feel the tugging urge to always do things that would gain any sort of respect from someone that knew he was better dead? Ciel opened his eyes at this last thought, letting out a deep sigh as he sat up a bit more in the bath. He looked down to his leg which drizzled blood across the porcelain tub side. At this time, there was a soft knock on the door. "Come in, Sebastian."

The door opened and in came Sebastian, dressed in his usual butler attire instead of the single shirt and pants. "Are you ready to be washed and dried, master?"

"Yes, Sebastian," Ciel said, leaning his head to one side of the tub as his butler came to the tubside. The earl watched him roll his sleeves up to above the elbow, fastening a button on either cuff before he lathered up a washcloth to scrub him clean. Ciel complied with however Sebastian needed him to. "Sebastian?" Ciel asked after he was done with his legs and feet."

"Yes, young master?"

"When you planned on taking my soul, what happens to my body?" Ciel asked curiously. His voice seemed so quiet in the large ceramic tiled room. Sebastian gave a soft chuckle of a response.

"Why might you ask?" Sebastian glanced at the boy's face, gesturing him to sit up from simmering in the water. Ciel sat up to the best of his ability, leg still propped on the tub.

"I'm curious, that's all," Ciel said as he offered one arm.

"Firstly, there is no more soul for me to take. I would have done that by now if that were the case. Secondly, I would have given you a burial. Maybe not a proper one that you had seen, but a burial at least. I always fancied the Viking funeral pyres," he said with a soft laugh. "They would place you on a raft, set you to the sea and set it on fire. It was a little more honorable than the burials they had." He glanced over to the boy, who was staring at him. It wasn't in a way of horror or discontent of his answer, just staring.

"Are you allowed to take other souls even though you're in a contract with me?" Ciel asked, offering his other arm to be washed.

"I am, with your permission."

"Then I give you permission." Sebastian almost dropped the washcloth, pausing his scrubbing circles.

"What gave a change of heart now?" Sebastian asked, picking up the circles again slowly.

"You've been kind of a prick lately," Ciel admitted. "Is that why?"

"It has been almost five years since this contract began and I have not had a single soul since then. Not that I necessarily require them, but it takes a toll after half a decade," Sebastian said carefully, scrubbing at the boy's chest gently. "I apologize most sincerely if my-"

"That's not helping." Ciel pulled away from Sebastian a bit, causing Sebastian to look at the boy directly. "If that's the case, you could have just told me. I wouldn't have withheld that from you, as long as it doesn't come from anyone in the Phantomhive care." Ciel watched the grin on Sebastian's face form.

"Why would I have ever wasted my time telling you my wants? They matter not," Sebastian challenged Ciel with that sentence, almost demanding to hear the words he knew would be said in embarrassment.

"Because I care about your wants," Ciel said, furrowing his brows slightly at him. "I'm stuck to you contractually for literal ever now. Why wouldn't I care about you? You're the only person that showed me any hint of respect that wasn't out of fear or obligation. Is that wrong of me?"

Sebastian softly chuckled at that, gently propping the boy with his one hand to scrub his back. "That means more to me than you know, young master." A few moments of silence followed before Sebastian said, "I'm not sure what caring feels like, but I genuinely worry about your well being. I checked in multiple times with your mental state while you were inside the building. I would have intervened had you been in any real trouble."

"You can't just kill anyone who lays a finger on me, that would be ridiculous."

"Ah, I never said kill. I said intervene," Sebastian said, letting him getting rest against the tubside once more. "You're very correct that this contract is now set to be forever. I suppose I should be more open with you about myself, in that case. You aren't human either, anymore, and I forget that."

"I believe we should have that conversation soon then," Ciel said in reference to being a soulless being. "I don't necessarily classify as a demon, do I?"

"You cannot make a demon, only be created as one from the start," Sebastian clarified, beginning at his stomach and nether regions. "We can have this conversation later. Right now, you're almost done with your bath. Are you ready to get out?"

"Indeed," Ciel said. The water was becoming increasingly cold. Sebastian wrung out the washcloth and hung it over the side of the tub as he helped him stand and step out of the tub onto the cool tiled floor. A warmed towel was wrapped around him as Sebastian gestured for the boy to sit on the stool. Kneeling once more, the butler patted the area around his wound dry and applied a clear disinfecting liquid. From there, he wrapped the wound with a thick gauze and medical tape to hold it in place before he dressed Ciel in a clean nightgown.

"Are you ready for bed, sir?" Sebastian asked, gathering the dirty clothes and washcloth in one arm. Almost immediately after asking, he heard a yawn from behind him, causing the butler to softly grin. "Right then, this way to bed." He opened the door for the tired boy.

Down the hall and to the right did the two walk, Sebastian holding the door once more for the boy and setting the dirty laundry into the almost full basket. He pulled the blankets back, allowing Ciel to crawl into his king-sized bed before covering him up and tucking in the sides. Picking up the already lit candlestick, Sebastian turned to leave his room when he heard Ciel call his name sleepily. "Yes?"

"Stay tonight," Ciel said. It wasn't a command - the tone he used was soft, almost pleading. Sebastian gave a single nod before turning heel and sitting in the chair next to the bedside table. He sat the candlestick on the table, watching the boy turn over onto his side to face him with closed eyes. "Goodnight, Sebastian."

"Goodnight, young master."


	5. The Hole

Sunlight beamed into the master bedroom, curtains drawn apart as they were every morning. This time, they were drawn at 11 AM whereas they typically were opened at 9 in the morning. The butler allowed the earl enough time to sleep his usual amount after having a late night. Breakfast was brought to the room instead of being left in the dining room for the boy, a short stack of pancakes with a strawberry drizzle sitting on the bedside table as Sebastian woke the boy. "Good morning, my lord."

Ciel turned his head away from the windows, burying his face underneath his blanket for a few moments before the covers were pulled off. "It is already near noon," Sebastian said in a scolding tone. "I have brought your breakfast here." This statement made Ciel open his eyes only enough to peek at the butler before he gave a morning stretch, sitting up with a finishing yawn. He propped his back against the headboard, Sebastian moving the silver breakfast tray with his morning Earl Grey tea to his lap. 

"Thank you, Sebastian. What is my day looking like?" Ciel asked, prodding at the pancakes with his fork a few times before digging in.

"You have nothing planned for today." Sebastian watched the boy eat for a few bites. "It would be of your best interest if we continued to put the case file together. I was able to locate Mr. Griffin's house and the backroad he most likely was killed on. We can go today at your convenience." 

"That sounds like the best thing to do, then." Ciel took another bite of the pancakes. "You didn't cook these," Ciel stated as he took a glance at the butler, who was looking in the closet for the boy's outfit. 

"I did not. I was busy looking for Mrs. Griffin and the backroads," Sebastian said, flicking through a few outfits before he selected one suitable for a chilly November Friday. "Bardroy cooked them. Are they to your liking?"

"It isn't bad, just not the Sebastian way," Ciel admitted, taking a few last bites and sips of tea before setting the tray aside to be dressed. Once the earl was dressed and hair brushed, Ciel made his way down the hall to the study. The note sheet and wound documentation, as well as a hand-drawn map, laid on his desk. "What is this?"

"I figured it would waste time to travel to the location, so I doodled a map of the location to help you decide where to begin our looking," Sebastian explained. "Would you like to hear my suggestions?"

"Go on."

Sebastian stood on the other side of the desk, using his left-hand pointer finger as he began, "This is where his death occurred. Here, on the right, is the beginning of a heavily wooded area. There are no houses or population in this entire area. While they have this area blocked off, it should not be a problem to entire the area from here." He moved his finger further up the map toward the house. "If I had to guess, so far the evidence points to werewolf or a lycan."

"What is a lycan?" Ciel asked, leaning back in his chair and crossing his legs.

"A werewolf is a transformed human that looks like a wolf. Typically, *2 to 2.5 meters in height, about 135 kilograms. A lycan is a transformed human that looks very humanoid but has wolf qualities - claws, teeth, superhuman strength, but they only stand at 1.6 -1.9 meters and 63 to 90 kilograms," Sebastian explained. 

"Are there any differences in their hideouts?" Ciel asked, picking up his fountain pen to begin taking notes as Sebastian spoke.

"Werewolves can only change during a full moon. They return to their human form at dawn, forgetting everything that happened the night previous. They are given the wolf virus from being attacked by a werewolf in its wolf form. As humans, they live normal lives. If they realize their transformations, they usually will have a secluded area to rest as to not harm others." Sebastian watched Ciel make bullet points. "Lycans know their power and can control their transformations. They can be born or transformed into a lycan later in their lifetime, typically this includes cultist involvement. Lycans tend to spend their lives as normal humans, returning to caves or underground hideouts at the night time - almost always with others. They are pack animals, whereas werewolves are lone wolves."

"And was there a full moon on that night?" Ciel asked, pausing his scribbles.

"I don't believe so, my lord."

"So it's lycans." Ciel sighed as he rubbed his temple. "I didn't see any other documentation of an attack to this degree. That means this probably isn't a cultist action. No routine sacrifices, no repeated offenses," Ciel said, setting down his pen in its stand. He glanced up at Sebastian. "It would be absolute suicide to leave in the evening." 

"That is my suggestion as well, to go during daylight hours."

"Then let us go now." Ciel stood from his chair. "I see no other reason to delay. We can irradicate this problem and be back in time for tea."

"Young master, are you sure that is the best idea?" Sebastian watched the boy turn to glare at him.

"Are you questioning my decision?"

"I only ask as you were injured last night. I would have assumed you would want time to recuperate," Sebastian said. He had noticed the slight limp from Ciel the moment he had stood out of bed.

"The longer we wait, the more time it gives them to create another victim. While I am no longer on the right-hand side of the Queen I still am an Englishman. My duties are for the betterment of this country and I refuse to keep my efforts in hiatus for any longer," Ciel snapped, turning back around. "Have Finnian fetch the carriage. We'll leave in ten minutes."

After a solid ten minutes ticked by, the earl was dressed for an outing, stepping into the carriage while ignoring the help of Sebastian's hand. He sat down near the window, leaning back into the seat with a soft sigh. While the carriage was being prepared for the trip Ciel had done what little research there was available in his library for lycans. Of course, anything ever written about them was considered works of fiction, as nobody who admitted to seeing them could be exactly marked 'sane'. 

"Let's go, Sebastian," Ciel said dully. He felt the carriage lurch forward, their journey beginning. "I don't believe these things are going to be reasoned with," Ciel called to Sebastian, looking up at the window. 

"You are correct about that, my lord," Sebastian called back to him. Ciel softly rubbed his face with his hands before he closed his eyes, hands in his lap.

What seemed like an eternity passed before Ciel heard the door open next to him. He opened his blue eyes to look at the brown and barren scenery past the doors, stepping out without the help of Sebastian's outstretched hand. "Are you sure this is a safe place to leave the horses?" He asked, glancing down either side of the dirt road. 

"This is a very untraveled section of road. It is the area northeast of the road the death happened on that I showed you earlier, my lord," Sebastian explained as he shut the door behind the earl. "Shall we?"

"I suppose," Ciel said as he began to walk the direction Sebastian gestured, which was into the naked trees. Dried leaves crunched on the ground with every step, small puffs of fog from each breath evaporating into the crisp air. The occasional call of birds or rustle of leaves in the distance from playing animals broke the silence between the earl and the butler. "Sebastian, do ravens hibernate in the wintertime?" He heard a small chuckle from behind him. 

"They do not. Instead, they will often stay with others to stay warm during the freezing nights," Sebastian explained. 

"Except for you, you cold heartless bastard," Ciel said. Anyone else would have taken the jab as mean, but Sebastian knew it was his way of teasing. 

"That means you don't hear my beaus while you're in your dreamland," Sebastian retorted, causing Ciel to gasp and turn on his heel to look at him. 

"You're joking! I'm not going to have harlots sauntering about my mansion!" Ciel shouted, poking his butler in the chest. This only made the grin on the butler's face much wider. 

"I know my young master doesn't enjoy jokes."

"You're absolutely disgusting, you're a pig!" Ciel threw his hands up as he turned around. "I know I shouldn't be annoyed but my God, man. In my own estate." He took a few steps before he turned around again. "It's that woman from the market, isn't it? The brunette with the birthmark on her neck that sells from her family's land, it's her, isn't it?" The laughed Sebastian gave Ciel confirmed his accusation. Ciel pretended to gag as he went forward once more.

"If you're going to spend eternity with me I suppose that leaves honesty to be revealed, isn't that right, my lord?" Sebastian asked, his smirk burning into the back of Ciel's head.

"Next thing I know you're going to invite me for a drink," Ciel rolled his eyes. It wasn't that he really cared what Sebastian did - he was old enough to know that demons did indulge in the same pleasures all adults did. It was finding out in this time and place that left a bad taste in his mouth. 

"I have a beautiful bottle of wine I've been saving for the right moment," Sebastian admitted to him before he pulled Ciel to crouch behind a medium boulder. He pointed in the distance - Ciel squinted his eyes and was able to see a figure digging through some leaves, squatting down, and then disappearing. A few moments of silence passed as they waited for any other sign of living beings before they both stood and made their way toward where the figure disappeared.

To the untrained human eye, nothing seemed to be out of place. Thankfully, Sebastian was no human and was quite trained so he immediately picked out the small handle that blended in with the dirt and roots of trees. Giving it a solid pull, the handle revealed to be a trap door, giving way to expose a rather large hole in the ground. A rope was attached to the other side of the door. Picking up a rock, Ciel allowed it to drop, kneeling over the hole to listen for how far the drop was.

No sound followed. 

Ciel looked up at Sebastian. "Well, what do you suggest?"

"I suggest you allow me to go first. You can't do any investigation if your legs are broken, can you?" Sebastian asked rhetorically, sitting on the side of the hole before moving himself forward to drop. 

"Wait, Sebastian! How do I know when to go?" Ciel asked loudly after him, on his hands and knees looking into the void below. With no response given, Ciel sat back on his haunches with an annoyed sigh and looked around as he waited for a few minutes. Aside from the tugging paranoia of being in a dangerous area, Ciel would have to admit that this area was almost comforting. 

Finishing his count to 120, Ciel adjusted himself so that his legs were the first. He grabbed ahold of the rope on the inside of the door and slid himself into the complete darkness below.

*2-2.5 meters - 6.5 - 8 feet, 135 kg - 300 lbs / 1.5-1.9 meters - 5-6 feet, 63-90 kg -140 - 200 lbs.


	6. Silvers and Fires

The trap door slammed shut behind the earl, the noise echoing throughout the tunnel as he fell into the depths below. Small parts of roots, some broken and others not, stuck out from either of the circular walls which occasionally struck Ciel on his arms, legs, and face. He was falling too fast to necessarily tell what disturbing and convoluted things lived on the small divets in the dirt, and he was most thankful for that. There were no noises behind made aside from the blood pumping in Ciel's ears. Without much warning, the earl realized he was incredibly cold, wet, and unable to breathe.

Ciel opened his eyes, surrounded by pitch-black darkness. He found himself unable to inhale, looking up to see the glistening top of the water's surface above him. His lungs began to ache as he struggled to swim to the top, not wanting to lose any of the clothing he came here with as to leave no traces behind. Finally breaking the surface, Ciel gasped for breath, shaking his head left and right to clear his vision from his hair. It was too dark for Ciel to make out anything other than small glowing dots along the wall.

Picking a direction and hoping his instincts were correct, Ciel began to tread water toward the edge of the water. The edge of the water was about a foot above the water. Finding a foothold, Ciel pulled himself up out of the cold water and laid down on the dirt, looking upwards. The darkness seemed to extend forever, the silence as strong here as it was in the tunnel. Ciel heard each of his hardened breaths, trying to breathe steadily from that hard swim.

"My lord, are you alright?" Sebastian's voice asked, very close to his face. Ciel instinctively shoved wherever the noise came from, landing his open palms against the butler's damp suit.

"Damnit, Sebastian. Don't scare me like that," Ciel managed, sitting up from the dirt. He could feel the grin from Sebastian's face towering over him. "Can you see in here?"

"Much better than I assume you can," Sebastian answered honestly. He touched Ciel's arm, offering him help to stand. "Are you alright to continue?"

"Of course I am," Ciel said, ignoring Sebastian's hand of offering to stand up. "Is there an exit in this room?"

"On the other end. It becomes a corridor, which then leads to several rooms." Ciel tried to picture Sebastian's description before he nodded slightly.

"Right. That way we shall go." Ciel said, taking a few steps forward before he paused. "I don't like the idea of being unable to see if there are others down here."

"All of my light sources became drenched after the fall," Sebastian said honestly. "The only light sources are these mushrooms, the blue lights on the wall."

"What kind of mushrooms are they?"

"Blue Oysterlings," Sebastian said, plucking one off of the wall ahead of him and bringing it. When he brought it back to Ciel, the soft glow of blue light kept its intensity. The earl held it in his hand, the light strong enough to give his face a gentle glow as he stared at the little blue mushroom. It was soft to the touch, weighing almost nothing.

"These would be beautiful in the garden," Ciel said. There was a small hint of wonder in his voice as he gave the mushroom back to Sebastian. "Now lead the way, we don't have time for these things." With a smile, Sebastian handed Ciel the end of his damp tailcoat to hold onto while he led the way simply because he was the only one able to see.

Neither of them spoke a word as they carefully walked down toward the corridor Sebastian spoke of earlier. The air was chilly but stale, the ground covered in the same dead grass and dried dirt as the main room they entered from. As they passed small rooms on various sides of them, Ciel found himself walking even closer to the butler. Noises of unknown origin echoed throughout the dark passage, causing goosebumps on Ciel's arms.

After a couple of minutes of walking, Ciel finally spotted a light on the very end of the hallway around a tight bend. Upon further inspection, the earl realized it was a fire set in the center of a ring of rocks and broken pieces of concrete. Standing at the outside of the circular room, Ciel could see the room was empty of living beings with piles of hay around the entire outside flattened into some sort of bedding. A few confident steps forward created a crunch underneath Ciel's foot. He looked down, bending down to see what he stepped on. Brushing the hay on the floor away, he saw he had stepped on a small circular locket. On the inside looked to be a photo of a happy couple, the glass and outside container shattered from Ciel's weight. He picked it up, turning around to show Sebastian.

"Ah. This is interesting," Sebastian said as he took the locket and chain in his hands to examine it. "Lycans tend to be influenced by shiny objects, even in human form. The practice of bribery with silvers in lycans was popular in the early 1200s."

"Bribery?"

"It was a way for an untrained eye to tell a lycan apart from a werewolf. Werewolves refuse to be around anything silver - being struck by anything silver could be an easy death for them, whereas lycans are as hard to kill as you would expect a human-sized wolf to be. Small villages would sometimes hire lycan packs to protect their farm stock and crops from animals like wolves or foxes, and occasionally werewolves." Sebastian allowed the locket to fall on the ground with sudden disinterest. "It seems that there are a lot of silver pieces here," He said as he gestured around Ciel and across the room at the different pieces of glittering metal he could see from where he stood at the entrance of the room.

"So someone hired them," Ciel clarified as he turned away from Sebastian to look at the main room once more. He approached the fire, picking up a medium branch in his hand and lifted it from the others to use as a torch. He walked past Sebastian with it, careful not to wave it in his face. "I'm assuming they aren't good bookkeepers, are they?" The chuckle he received from the butler made him roll his eyes. "Then we have no choice than to find them."

Ciel walked in front of Sebastian into the main hallway, only taking a few steps into the previous darkness before he felt his entire body slam into the wall next to him. The wind knocked out of him, Ciel struggled to inhale as he felt something put him into a headlock. "There is no finding what doesn't want to be found, stupid boy," A deep voice growled into his ear. Ciel looked up from his momentary daze to see three large creatures on their haunches - one behind Sebastian, one between Ciel and Sebastian, and another one next to the boy on his right. The creature holding Sebastian had Ciel in a tight grip with its one arm and its other hand held Ciel's upper arm.

"We're just looking to talk," Sebastian said calmly, giving a soft bow. "I apologize for the inconvenience-"

"Of you breaking into our home and expecting us to just talk?" The lycan standing behind Sebastian let out a loud, manic laugh. Ciel was finally able to get a good look at these things. They were the size of an average human male, their bodies covered in hair except for their palms. Their face, while very humanoid, was contorted into embracing a snout with a dog-like nose and incredibly large and sharp teeth. Their hands were much larger than a human's, nails extending from the ends of their digits for another inch or two. Dirt matted their furs in some patches and the one to the right of Ciel had blood dried over its lips and claws. He recognized the fur coloration as the one they had seen earlier. The legs of these creatures were bent like a dog's but had incredible muscle definition.

"Seb-" Ciel began, but the lycan holding him tightened his arm around his neck to cut off the rest of the word. Ciel's voice caught in his throat, grabbing at the hirsute arm with both of his hands in an attempt to pry it off.

"Shut up," he hissed before he turned his attention to Sebastian. "Why are you here?"

"We are here to investigate the death of Henry Griffin," Sebastian said, eyeing the lycan to the right of Ciel. "We are here on no accord but our own."

"Griffin? That's why you're trespassing?" The lycan holding Ciel barked out a laugh. "We did London a favor. He was a werewolf terrorizing the town, he was trying to kill a poor girl when we stopped him!"

"That is false," Sebastian said simply. "If he were a werewolf, his body would not have been found as a human. The genetic material of the werewolf viral infection would have caused his mutations to stay after his death. The wounds that were found at the time of his discovery showed he fought back in his human form."

"And how can you prove that? They disposed of the body not even three days after the incident."

"We saw him," Sebastian answered honestly. "My master saw Henry Griffin with his own two eyes. He saw exactly the damage you caused. Broken fingers and toes, lacerations through his entrails, and the bruises along his neckline and face showed he was grappled. He was fighting you back."

"How do you know it was us? How do you know there ain't werewolves out here?" The lycan questioned, loosening his grip on Ciel's throat. The boy gasped for air.

"Moon," he managed, watching Sebastian's lips turn up ever so slightly.

"What the fuck did you say?" The lycan to the right questioned, getting in the boy's face menacingly. Ciel stared at him right back, unfazed by his threatening.

"There was no full moon that night. It couldn't have been a werewolf." Ciel said blankly once he gained his breath back, watching anger seep into the lycan's expression as it looked at the one holding the boy. "We simply want to know why. What's done is done. There is no bringing Mr. Griffin back."

Silence filled the room except for the small crackling of the fire behind Sebastian. The lycan that held Ciel chuckled softly before he answered. "Fine. We're going to kill you anyway, I suppose you deserve to know the answer. Belmont, would you like the favors?"

"I would love to, Bazba." the lycan named Belmont stepped away from Ciel, being the one to his right. Belmont cleared his throat as he moved away from Ciel, past the one in the center, and into the main room with the fire. "Do you know why we have so many silvers here, child?" Belmont asked rhetorically before turning to look at him. "I'm sure your butler explained it. We're the only pack of lycans in this part of Europe. If someone wants something done for them, we've no competition." Belmont leaned down to pick up a handful of silvers from the floor, standing up to examine them. It was almost as if he was lost in a trance.

Bazba sighed and gestured to the lycan in the center. "Lorna? Would you like to continue?" The lycan named Lorna grinned and dipped her head.

"I'm honored," the female lycan said as she looked at Ciel. "It's not often we are contracted by anyone anymore. People have taken it in their own hands - weapons are much better than they've ever been. People rely on faux protection and so-called 'justice' to solve their problems. It's wrong to slaughter those who do you wrong now. At least, that's what most people think," she said with a wink before she turned to face Sebastian. "We never saw her face. We didn't know her name. We never have spoken verbally. She sent Fenris a letter. We didn't believe it at first - for so long we kept to ourselves, taking care of our own, putting ourselves first." Lorna approached the last unnamed lycan behind Sebastian, putting a hand on his arm.

"I work on the streets selling snacks in a cart. I don't know how she found me, or even an address to have the letter delivered to. The letter came from a mail boy, the same one I had seen delivering mail to all the other storefronts. He approached me, told me I had a very special letter that was for me and my friends. Before I could look up from the wax seal, he was gone," Fenris said, looking at Lorna with gentle eyes. He patted her hand with his, and she dropped it from his arm. She approached a small pile of hay, rooting through it before she pulled out a crinkled letter to show them it was real. "I couldn't believe it. Someone wanted us to snuff out anybody who knew anything about her in this area. We thought it was fake. How could we do that without her name? Without payment?"

Belmont dropped the silver on the ground with a clink. He picked up the story with, "And then it came. A parcel filled with silvers. At the very bottom of the parcel was a letter. In the letter was his name, and at the end of the letter were the words, "For your troubles. More to come, Sylvia". How could we ignore this request? We don't care who we work for as long as we can feel the silvers." He laughed, looking at Ciel. "She contracted us. She gave us the order, the payment, and the rest fell into place."

"Surely that's not all you know?" Ciel demanded.

"That's all that any of us know," Lorna said, letting the letter fall back into the hay. Ciel could see the bright wax seal on the envelope from where he stood, and he looked to Sebastian to meet his gaze.

"What a beautiful story. Thank you Lorna, Belmont, Fenris," Bazba said. Ciel felt his grip tighten again, this time much harder than before. Ciel found himself unable to breathe, watching the three of them take ahold of Sebastian. "I'm glad that the last words you've heard come from my mouth, aren't you?" Bazba asked, pulling Ciel backward with him. "Of course you are. I've watched your butler this entire time. He looks at you like a meal, did you know that? The same way that I looked at Henry as I stood over his mangled and twitching body. I knew better than to devour him, though. The desire to do so, it was so overwhelming, but I knew better. Sylvia needed to hear of our duties being fulfilled. His death has truly caused a story, hasn't it?"

Ciel dug his nails into the lycan's arm, fighting with all of his strength to pull his arm away from his throat. This only made Bazba chuckle in his ear. "I figured your butler would love to watch someone else have you." Ciel's eyes fluttered as his grip tightened even further, a vignette darkening the outside of his vision. He felt himself gag from the pressure on his windpipe. "Maybe I'll devour you like I wish I could Henry," He hissed menacingly into Ciel's ear.

Cerulean eyes made contact with dark amber ones and with a final effort, small lips managed to mouth the word his butler was waiting to hear. "Sebastian."

The fire was immediately extinguished, and Ciel felt the pressure around his throat become nothing as he fell to the ground on his knees. A pulsating pressure in his head, throat, and lungs screamed for attention as Ciel kept his head down, hearing the snarls, barks, screams, and yelps of the four attackers. Each breath he gasped for was accompanied by a choking exhale, tears brought to his eyes from the pain.

Ciel endured a mere 45 seconds of listening to the wails of the lycans before it came to complete silence. A snap of fingers was heard, and the fire relighted on its own accord. Ciel sat in the shadow of his butler, tilting his head up to look at the figure as he audibly gasped for breath. His knuckles clutched onto his shorts, white from the grip. Sebastian immediately recognized the symptoms of an asthma attack from the boy, kneeling onto one knee and producing a small sealed ceramic container that served as an inhaler for the boy.

Ciel dug his fingers into the dirt as his butler administered the inhaler, giving almost inaudible comforts and reassurances as he did so. A few minutes passed, Sebastian being patient and allowing the boy to collect himself. Ciel stood on his own when he was ready, looking to the room to see the lycans strewn about. Some were in pieces, some were intact and battered. His silence remained as he walked to the hay to pick up the letter with the wax seal. The seal was bright red, a depiction of a dog-like creature being the decal in the center. Ciel stuffed it in his pocket before he looked at Sebastian.

"They already indicated to me the exit, my lord," Sebastian said as he stood from the ground. "The next room over has a similar trap door mechanism. They tried to reach it before I was finished."

"Well done. I wish to go home," Ciel said wearily. He felt weak, cold, and accomplished. Sebastian watched the boy find the lycan called Bazba - or what was left of him - and stared at the corpse before he spat directly on him, wiping his mouth before turning heel and walking past Sebastian. He paused, not looking back. "Burn it to the fucking ground," Ciel spoke.

"Yes, my master." Sebastian bowed behind his back, smirking as Ciel continued to walk to the next room over. Ciel heard the fire crackle roar loud before he was accompanied by his butler in the dark room. Sebastian revealed the small trap door in this room, pulling it open to reveal a staircase that led upwards. Each step the earl took only made him more exhausted, head still pounding with a headache from nearly being choked out not even five minutes earlier.

Once they reached the top, Ciel used his body weight to shove the door open to reveal outside. The door and staircase had been built into a hollowed tree, the outside camouflaged to look like bark. The fresh air overwhelmed him, the boy taking a deep breath and looking up at the setting sun overhead. The cool air nipped at his damp skin and clothing, causing him to shiver. "Which direction, Sebastian?" Ciel asked.

"I believe it will be this way, based on the sunset." Sebastian pointed for Ciel to see which way he was talking about, receiving a nod from the earl as he began to walk. The wind caressed their cheeks and whispered comforting words in their ears as they walked, the familiar crunch of dried leaves and shuffling animals creating a content feeling between the two.

The carriage was not far from the exit, Ciel surprised at the excitement he felt from seeing the two horses standing at the front of the box carriage. He didn't wait for Sebastian to open the door, letting himself in and sitting down with a relieved sigh. The boy tilted his head back and closed his eyes. "Let's not take forever, Sebastian," Ciel ordered as he heard the click of the door lock. Sebastian didn't reply, taking his seat on the top of the carriage.

Gentle lights awoke the boy suddenly. He sat up from the couch he had been laid on, looking around at the empty room. He recognized this room as the lobby of his estate, swinging his legs over the side of the couch to stand up. As soon as he stood, the door to the dining room opened with Mey Rin entering the room. "Ah, you're awake!" She exclaimed, gleaming at the boy.

"How long was I asleep?" Ciel inquired, rubbing his uncovered eye and looking out at the landscape from the window. It was barely dark.

"Only an hour or so. I hope it didn't ruin your appetite or your sleep schedule, young master!" Mey Rin gestured to the room she just walked out of. "Sebastian had just told me to get you, he did!" Ciel followed her gesturing to the dining room. On his side of the table had two dishes laid out. The main dish in the center had a pasta drowning in a white, creamy sauce with bits of peeled shrimp. The small plate to the side had a short stack of bread with a smaller dish of butter.

"Seafood alfredo," Ciel commented as he took his seat. He dug in immediately, his stomach registering how hungry he was due to the business earlier. Each bit melted in his mouth, the only sound coming from the clink of his fork touching the plate as he gathered another bite after bite. Shortly after eating, Ciel excused himself to upstairs without dessert, going to his study.

Lighting a candle, Ciel settled down in his chair and set out the letter and envelope with the wax seal. He set his chin in his hand, staring at it intently. He had been given some sort of direction, but without any return address on the envelope or a last name to a common first, he was quickly at a dead end. Whoever Sylvia was, was well versed in the darker sides of this world. No regular person - if she was a person - would know how to contact a specific clan of lycans, let alone own that many silver pieces to offer as compensation. The question of why Henry Griffin was killed remained unanswered.

A knock at the door and a call of the earl's title was unanswered, causing the butler to open the door quietly. He saw Ciel, head in his arms on his desk, soft snoring noises coming from the figure. A smile and a head tilt were given to the unaware room as the butler came across to the desk, blowing out the candle with a soft breath and picking up the sleeping figure in his arms.

Being careful not to wake the exhausted boy, Sebastian carried him down the hall to his bedroom. Dressing him in a warm winter nightgown, Sebastian tucked the boy into bed. Before he left the room, the demon stood at the window, overlooking the garden from the master bedroom. "You were right, master," He said quietly, looking at the soft blue glowing lights that newly lined the pathways. "They do look beautiful."


	7. Yes, Ciel

Days passed uneventfully at the Phantomhive Manor. Aside from the usual shenanigans from the servants and the damage control done by Sebastian, nothing exciting managed to present itself to be of interest. Ciel had been persuaded to take his activities easy and be gentle on his leg for it to heal. The underground lake they had fallen into had created a brown rim, but with Sebastian applying a salve multiple times a day, the infection passed without further issue.

Sebastian had noticed the earl was taking the newspapers and letters that were brought to him more seriously, reading them silently as he enjoyed his morning tea. Piles accumulated with different circled articles all sorted chronologically on the boy's desk. He had been working on his daily studies without complaint, obviously eager to continue his readings. Ciel spoke almost none to his butler during this period of about two weeks, before finally, his name was addressed.

"Sebastian?" Ciel inquired in the middle of a lesson of maths. Sebastian paused in his writing on the chalkboard, turning to look at the boy.

"Yes, my lord?" 

"I don't believe the papers are covering events properly," Ciel said honestly. Sebastian paused at the randomness of his comment before his lip upturned ever so slightly. "I have searched everywhere for other unnatural occurrences like this and I can't find another. I haven't found a single person who knows who this seal belongs to. Lycans simply cannot be the only unnatural species that this person is hiring to keep things quiet."

"I believe you are correct, young master. Has this been bothering you this entire time?" Sebastian asked, returning to his writing. He heard a tch as Ciel rolled his eyes.

"My primary work will always lie in the streets of London, with or without your help." This brought a chuckle to Sebastian's throat. "What is so funny?"

"I don't think you realize the amount of intel I truly do have, my lord." Sebastian shrugged his shoulders lightly, setting the chalk down.

"You've kept information from me?" Ciel asked angrily and loudly, standing up from his chair. 

"I never said I kept information from you. I've kept you from people who know the information you need, simply because I don't believe you are ready to be introduced to that side of my existence." 

"What does that even mean?" Ciel's eyebrows furrowed, voice still raised. "What are you hiding from me, you demon?" This created another chuckle, Ciel's anger skyrocketing even higher.

"I am not going to bring you anywhere with a temperament like that," Sebastian said gently with a large grin on his face. Ciel's jutted jaw relaxed as he realized he was not going to get anywhere with Sebastian like this. 

"Fine. I wish to be introduced to them," Ciel said as calmly as he could muster. "I won't have a temperament with them."

"Or me around them. They'll know who you are, what you are, and how long that we have had a contract," Sebastian said, eyeing the boy. "To all after-worldly beings, you reek of demon from me. To other supernatural beings, they won't know you're a soulless being with a contract unless you tell them." Ciel absorbed this information without interrupting him. "You also need to understand that I am not the most powerful entity there. If something there wants you dead, I cannot stop them and protect you no matter how you word your order - I will lose." Goosebumps shivered up Ciel's arms at that statement.

"I don't know how I feel about that," Ciel admitted, sitting back down into his chair.

"If you want more information, that's how you'll need to obtain it. I'm not going to be your messenger if you're going to investigate paranormal and supernatural cases," Sebastian said simply. When Ciel opened his mouth, he said, "The contract as you knew it was terminated  
when your soul was taken from me. The contract no longer entails you bossing me around to your heart's content because "it's an order"." 

Ciel stared at the floor for a moment before he looked at Sebastian. "You've been doing everything for me on your own accord?" He asked, each word soft and almost vulnerable. He had not taken into consideration for even a moment that the contract as it had been before was different. Sebastian gave a single nod to him, meeting his azure eyes. The silence that settled between them remained unbroken as Ciel standing from his desk and leaving the room without a word.

A knock on the door of Ciel's den startled the earl from his game of Patience*. "Come in," Ciel said, glancing at the door as he settled back into his chair. Sebastian let himself into the room, shutting the door behind him. Sebastian didn't get a chance to speak before Ciel did. "When can we meet your acquaintances, Sebastian?" He asked, not looking at him.

"We can do so today if you so wish," Sebastian said honestly. "I would prefer if we did so during daylight hours."

"Why?" 

"It isn't as busy during this existence's daylight hours," Sebastian watched cards be rearranged in their piles and heard a soft sigh from Ciel as he had trapped himself into an unplayable position in his game.

"Fine. Are we to leave now?" Ciel asked, using his foot against the table in front of him to turn his chair to look at his butler. He watched him grin with amusement of his impatience.

"We may. Come now, I'll get your outing jacket, it is chilly outside."

Newly dressed in his jacket, hat, and walking cane, Ciel told the servants they could take the evening off as it was a Friday night and dinner would not need to be worried about. Waving off their excitements, he left with Sebastian on foot. "Where are we going, Sebastian?"

"Just far enough away from your estate that we cannot be seen." The reply made Ciel's eyebrows furrow slightly but he did not press the issue. After a few minutes of walking, Sebastian said, "Do you remember the rules of being here?"

"I'm to treat you as an equal and to not have any hint of temperament," Ciel recited the 'pep talk' the two had before leaving. "Anything in here could kill me without being stopped and we cannot continue this if I'm dead."

"Correct." Sebastian praised nicely as he stopped his walking. Ciel turned on his heel to look at him. The butler had bent over, clearing out dead and dried leaves from the ground in the shape of a circle. Soft hums came from his throat as he pulled off either glove, folding them and sticking them in his pocket as he licked his right forefinger. He leaned over once more, drawing something in the ground as he hummed. Sebastian then did the same thing with his left forefinger except in the opposite direction, giving Ciel time to listen to the soft words that rambled from his mouth. The earl recognized bits of Latin but not enough of it to make any sense. 

Sebastian stood up straight and took a step back, finishing his words. Ciel gasped as a fuschia light poured from the drawing in the ground, making a pentagram. When Ciel looked at it, he felt almost drawn to it, an overwhelming urge to step into the circle washing over him. In his ears were the words Sebastian had hummed, except louder, chanting, and pulsating in his heart. He went to take a step onto the pentagram before he felt a hand stop him on his chest. The earl looked up at his butler, the humming and urges cutting out abruptly. "What is that?"

"A portal to purgatory," Sebastian said seriously. "That's what humans call it, anyway. To us, it's media via or 'center way'. It's just a halfway point between this world and the next. It isn't too bad if you're visiting for other reasons than your death awaiting trial," Sebastian chuckled. "Shall we continue, my lord?"

"We shall. And, Sebastian?" Ciel looked back at the portal once more, the pounding sensation beginning in his chest. "When we're in here, it's Ciel." The grin on Sebastian's face burned into the side of the boy's as he stepped forward into the circle. He bent forward to make eye contact with the earl. 

"Yes, Ciel," were the last words heard in Ciel's ears before he felt Sebastian pull him forward by his jacket into the circle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Patience is called Solitaire in the US/Canada regions.


	8. Simple Omelette

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW - Attempted Sexual Assault

Within a blink of an eye, Ciel was standing against the front of his butler, grabbing his tailcoat. When he was pulled forward, he had immediately clung to him because he had no idea what to expect and did not want to be separated from the only thing he would recognize here. Feeling the sturdy cobblestone beneath his feet, Ciel opened his eyes to the streetside before he looked up at the grinning butler. Ciel let go of Sebastian, stepping away from him and smoothing out his clothing, his face feeling red. "So this is purgatory?"

"Indeed. It's usually not this nice out," Sebastian said, looking up at the sky. Dark hues of blue and purple danced together, with no sun or clouds in sight. Surprisingly, it was not dark out like one would expect, but rather the same brightness as fair skies. The air was cool, but not cold enough to require bundling up. It looked like a dystopian London, with many 'storefronts' boarded up and broken into. At the end of the street, Ciel could see a very large building with bright lights radiating inside, figures moving in and out of the entrance.

"Usually? Do you come here often?" Ciel inquired, staring at the building in curiosity.

"More times than you would be able to guess," Sebastian said honestly. "Are you ready to meet the company I keep?" Watching Ciel nod, Sebastian began to walk in the direction that he was staring. Ciel walked beside him, feeling uneasy at the formality between them. The closer they came to the building, the stronger that unease felt in the boy's chest. Before they crossed the street, Ciel stopped walking. Sebastian took a few steps into the street before he turned to look at the boy questioningly.

"I can't do it," Ciel admitted quietly.

"The Ciel Phantomhive I remember wasn't afraid of anything," Sebastian said teasingly, crossing the gap between them. Ciel's face felt hot with that, turning his face to avoid his gaze.

"I'm not afraid," Ciel corrected. "Nothing scares me. I'm just worried that I'll make the wrong impression - I know how to talk to humans. I don't know how to talk to demons." A moment of silence passed before Sebastian let out a laugh. Ciel had never heard such a genuine expression of emotion from him before.

"It's the same idea. They are just as cocky and ignorant as humans, in their own ways. Say nothing to purposefully offend and you'll be fine," Sebastian persuaded. "And please, don't do anything stupid." Ciel let out a hard sigh before he met his gaze.

"Fine." Ciel began to cross the street, Sebastian turning to walk beside him. Music streamed out from the doors, constant movements of a crowd in and out of the building creating chaos. Ciel tried to make out the faces of people, but couldn't focus on anyone long enough. He felt a hand grab his wrist with gentle intentions, looking to find Sebastian had taken a hold of it so the boy wouldn't become lost.

Being lead by his butler, Ciel failed to grasp what exactly was going on. When they entered the building, Ciel could make out a large bar with multiple bartenders. Tables filled with patrons of different human portraying species took up almost every inch of floor space. Some waitresses carried platters of food and others carried stacks of drinks in different glasses with ease, making their way around each patron expertly. Sebastian wasted no time to lead Ciel up toward a set of upwards stairs.

The second floor was still busy but not as packed as the downstair floor. It wasn't much quieter here due to loud music that Ciel had never heard of playing on the next floor, small seclusions made by half-walls on either side of the hallway. None of the patrons here even bothered to glance at the pair as Sebastian walked passed. He stopped at the last seclusion on the righthand side, knocking on the wall. The three patrons looked up, their faces turning to grins. Each of them looked very human with the distinct feature of unnaturally beautiful eyes. "Ah, Ma-"

"Sebastian," The butler corrected, letting go of the boy's wrist as he went to sit at one of the vacant seats. "In front of the boy, it is Sebastian." The vibrant-pink eyed lass who spoke originally gave a grin, making eye contact with Ciel.

"The boy," She repeated, glancing him up and down. "I'm so glad I finally get to meet you. He talks plenty of you." She stood up, leaning over the table with an outstretched hand. She was dressed in a medium-sleeved white blouse and an underbust corset in purple, a medium length multilayered skirt barely visible from the tabletop. Her jet black hair was piled on top of her head in buns, chopsticks pocking out from the back. "My human name is Dahlia."

"Ciel Phantomhive. It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am," Ciel said respectfully, taking her hand and pressing his lips against it. She watched with a grin, sitting back into her chair.

"My, Sebastian! He's more well mannered than you are!" Dahlia kept Ciel's gaze for a moment before she tilted her head back to take a drink. The liquid inside of the mug radiated an opaque sparkling gold and red swirl. While she drank, the next party member introduced himself.

"I don't have a human name," He said, his accent thick from a homeland Ciel could not put a finger on. "I am Forneus." His serious face relaxed at seeing Ciel's discomfort, chuckling and he took his hand firmly in his own. He was dressed in a long white tunic with an over jacket made of tan leather, long curly dark hair to his ribs pushed out of his face with several bobby pins.

"It's nice to meet you, Forneus," Ciel said, feeling a small wash of ease at his laugh. Ciel then looked to the last patron who he would be sitting next to other than Sebastian. "And what do they call you?"

"My current contract calls me Valentino. I quite like it, more than my real name," He said honestly. Ciel recognized his accent to be of the American variety, dressed in a pullover tucked into his waistband with a hat presumably belonging to him on the table in front of him. "Are you a friend of Sebastian?" Ciel looked to Sebastian, who had the infamous cocky smirk on his face as he also awaited his answer.

"I'm his contract, so I would suppose we are friends," Ciel said with a slight nod, looking back to Valentino. He stood up, standing at the same height as the boy's butler before he took Ciel in for a tight hug. Ciel widened his eyes.

"Any friend of Sebastian is a friend of mine!" He bellowed as he ruffled Ciel's hair with a free hand. Ciel gave a few pats to his back as he let go, making room for Ciel to take a seat between him and Sebastian. "Are y'all having a drink?" Valentino asked, looking around and waving at a waitress with one hand as he pulled out a cigarette with the other. Putting the butt in his mouth, he snapped his fingers in front of it, lighting the end.

"Most definitely," Sebastian answered. Ciel had never seen him in such a normal state or environment, leaning back in the cushioned chair he sat on. "I suppose they'll let anyone work here," He teased to the waitress who approached the table.

"Oh hush, stranger!" The waitress giggled, leaning over Ciel to kiss Sebastian on the cheek. Ciel's face felt hot, leaning away from her bust that she shoved in his face. "I haven't seen you in a while. Your first drink is on the house, love!" She planted a kiss to the other side of his butler's cheek before standing up and looking to Ciel. "I haven't seen you before, are you new around these parts?"

"He's a friend of Sebastian," Valentino said, leaning back into his chair as he exhaled a puff of smoke.

"Contract," Dahlia corrected before taking another drink. She finished the last of the swirling liquid and handed it off to the waitress who added it to her stack of dirty dishes. "I'll have another Gold Rose, please, Noel."

"Of course! Would the rest of you like drinks as well? I see another waitress took your glasses already."

"I'll have a Rainstorm," Valentino politely ordered, looking at Sebastian. "Make that two!" He said, "We can get him started on something easy considering what happened last time." The entire table burst into laughter, aside from Ciel.

"Alright, two Rainstorms and a Gold Rose. Forneus?" Noel looked at the last demon.

"Brightwire, please. Neat," Forneus then met Ciel's gaze. "What would you like, Ciel?" Ciel's voice was caught in his throat. He had never really drunk alcohol before, let alone whatever this concoction was. The Phantomhive name prevented him from appearing anything less than confident.

"I'll have an Old Fashioned," Ciel said, looking up at Noel. He remembered seeing the drink on a menu in a restaurant he attended with Elizabeth. She flashed him a toothy grin and winked at him.

"Ah, a human. An absolutely adorable one as well. You sure do know how to pick them, Sebastian!" She giggled. "I'll be back with your drinks." Everyone at the table gave a similar "thank you" as she left with her platter.

"So, Ciel," Dahlia began, catching his attention. "What brings a soulless here under the wing of their demon?"

"I'm hoping that you all can help me," Ciel said, sitting up a little straighter. "I know you're under no obligation to help me but I would give my eternal gratitude if you would." This statement made Dahlia furrow her eyebrows and lean in a little more as if to tell him, Go on. "There was a cult of Lycans in my hometown that had murdered a man. I investigated the case with Sebastian and found that someone had contracted them to keep her name quiet."

"A woman of that power in the human world, in this day and age?" Dahlia gasped excitedly. "Do continue!" Valentino seemed equally interested, Forneus listening intently from his side of the table.

"I know her name is Sylvia and this is her seal." Ciel pulled out the envelope with the dog-like creature stamped in wax. He handed it over to Dahlia, who examined it close to her face before handing it off to Forneus. "But that's all I know of her."

"I don't recognize the seal or her name. It could be a pseudonym," Dahlia pointed out. Ciel sighed in realization she was correct - it might not even be a woman sending these out! When the wax seal returned to him with similar answers from the other two, he pocketed the envelope. By this point, the waitress returned.

"Gold Rose for the lady," Noel said, setting the same red and gold swirl drink in front of her. "Two Rainstorms," Next on the table were two mugs with a swirling blue and green liquid, similar to the golden mixture except without the glittering particles. "One Brightwire," a whiskey glass filled with silver and glittering opaque liquid was set down, "And finally, a simple Old Fashioned." The murky liquid in the mug threatened to slosh onto the table as she set it down. "They'll be put on the tab, aside from the house drinks." Ciel could feel her smirking stare as she left.

"So, what are those?" Ciel asked, watching his butler take one by the handle.

"They're similar to alcohol for humans, except strong enough to incapacitate a demon," Valentino answered. "Twenty of your drinks would make one of us tipsy. One drink of ours to you is two or three shots. They offer human drinks here as they would beer or ale for you." Ciel nodded slightly, looking at his glass.

"A toast!" Dahlia said, lifting her mug into the air above the table of cards in front of them. The others raised their drinks as well, Ciel following last. "To the assembly of the best!"

"Assembly of the best," said the four others as they took a drink. Ciel swallowed his first taste of alcohol, his nose crinkling at the burning aftertaste in his throat. He could feel Sebastian eyeing him from the side, ignoring his gaze.

"What's wrong, Ciel?" Forneus asked, setting his glass down.

"He's never had a drop of the drink before in his life," Sebastian answered for him.

"And we're here to witness it?" Forneus raised a quizzical eyebrow with a simper. "It'll taste better after you've had a few."

"I've been drinking since yesterday's noon," Dahlia laughed, "Everything aside, how can we help you, Ciel?"

"I figured none of you would specifically know who she was," Ciel admitted, taking another drink begrudgingly. "Sebastian mentioned that you all would be the best source for supernatural occurrences in my realm. He feels that he can't be responsible for giving me the answers for dangerous investigations that dwell in non-human cases."

"Still protecting him even without the promise of dinner?" Forneus asked rhetorically, looking at Sebastian before chuckling. "His last contract was much different than you, Ciel. He was done with him in 4 months."

"Oh?" Ciel raised an eyebrow, still not looking to Sebastian. He was genuinely - morbidly - curious.

"What did he ask for again? Riches?" Forneus asked in Sebastian's direction, who brought the mug to his lips with an eye roll of a response. "A direct summoning for a little bit of coin, that's pretty pathetic. Sebastian tells me that you're bound by looking for your parent's murderer. That's an impressive contract." Ciel nearly spat out his drink.

"You've told them?" Ciel asked with a hint of annoyance, finally looking to Sebastian with a scowl.

"It wasn't as if it was going to affect you in any way, Ciel," Sebastian said. Ciel caught the undertone of his name being said with a challenge. To this, Ciel jutted his jaw slightly. He knew he could not verbally retaliate as the rules of him coming here specifically required him not to. However, if Sebastian was going to challenge him in this way, Ciel knew how to play this game, even in his domain.

"You're right, Sebastian," Ciel stated as he took another drink of his drink, fighting the cringe his face wanted to make from the sensation. "Dahlia, that drink looks amazing. Do you mind if I have a try?"

"Oh, I don't know if that's the best idea," Dahlia said, but her mouth turned into a grin to show she was teasing him. She passed her drink across Sebastian to the earl. With confident movement, Ciel tilted his head back to gulp her drink. This drink was strong in taste and fragrance but didn't burn going down like his own. "Well?"

"It's wonderful," Ciel said honestly, wiping his lip as he passed the drink back. "It's so sweet, more so than all of the sweets I've ever had the pleasure of tasting." Dahlia winked at him.

"I'd love to see what you have to say about me if that's how this tastes to you," Dahlia said, causing Forneus to playfully hit her arm as Valentino hollered like a schoolboy. Ciel could feel the drinks beginning to kick in, and he felt somehow better than sober him.

"Enough with the girly drinks. Try this one, it'll man you up," Valentino said as he gave Ciel his drink. The drink called Rainstorm was tipped back into Ciel's mouth. It was just as strong and fragrant as the Gold Rose drink. "How do you like that one?"

"It's a different taste. Not sweet, but it's still soft and almost comforting. If rainfall in the springtime had a flavor." Ciel passed the drink back to Valentino. He could feel the glare from Sebastian on the side of his face. "How is yours, Forneus?"

"It's a classic. Down the hatch, Ciel!" Forneus egged him on, watching Ciel take a drink of his as well. This one made Ciel's eyes widen as a sharp but satisfying ping down his mouth and throat hit his stomach.

"What is that?" Ciel asked, taking another drink. Forneus snickered as he took his glass back when he was done.

"Brightwire? It's mint flavoring that's seeped with the aroma of lightening. Interesting, isn't it?" Forneus could watch the drunkness take over Ciel's being quickly after he took those drinks not meant for a human.

"It's incredible!" Ciel said, leaning back in his chair and holding his drink. "Are you enjoying yourself, Sebastian?" He looked to his butler, and only Sebastian could see the tiniest of all smiles on Ciel's face. He could feel the annoyance flare watching the boy be specifically defying manners with loopholes.

"I'm having a great time. In fact, why don't we order Ciel a drink of his own?" Sebastian's questioned gained all positivity from the others, giving the boy an almost unnoticed wink.

"While we wait for the waitress, then, I wanted to follow up on my original intent to be here," Ciel said. "I want to know if you all would be willing to give me details of paranormal occurrences in my country that humans are dismissing that could be of this Sylvia person."

"Oh, hell yeah. Of course, we will. You're the coolest soulless I've met," Valentino said. "Most of them are sticklers and moping that they never get to have peace. But you? I like you. You have my word," He patted Ciel's leg. "I'll give Sebastian the details on how to summon me."

"You are pretty relaxed compared to most," Dahlia said, batting her eyes at him as she finished her drink. She reached into the bosom of her dress and pulled out a card that was lined with a gold finish. On the front were Latin inscriptions and on the back were instructions in English. She kissed the Latin side, staining it with a mark of lipstick before she gave it to him. Ciel blushed visibly as he pocketed it with a thank you. Forneus gave a nod of his word and told Ciel he would also tell Sebastian his details.

"Done with your drink already, love?" Noel came down the hall with an empty platter in one hand and a full drink in her other. Ciel looked down at his drink and realized that his sipping had finished his drink. He silently handed his empty glass over to her. She set the full drink in front of him first before taking the empty one.

"What's this?" He asked.

"I saw you try their drinks and figured I'd give you the best we have," Noel flashed another toothy smile. "Tueur de néon."

"Oh, thank you, Noel," Ciel said. The mug was bright pink and green with bits of an equally bright yellow floating throughout. While the others downed their drinks and gave their next order, he took a sip of his new drink. His eyes lit up immediately.

"Do you enjoy it, love?" Noel asked him, slightly bobbing her head to the muffled music that played in the next level. Ciel gave a nod.

"It's even sweeter than the Gold Rose. I enjoy this very much," Ciel said honestly. The mixture was like drinking a mixture of berries topped with honey, the yellow fakes giving soft sour bursts of citrus. With a promise of her return with drinks, Ciel listened to the others talk about their recent run-ins with reapers, souls they've had, their contracts, and other miscellaneous things that Ciel paid no mind to. It wasn't long until Ciel felt the need to use a restroom.

"Excuse me, where's the bathroom?" Ciel asked. Dahlia smiled, glancing at Sebastian who was arguing playfully with Valentino. She gestured for him to follow her, taking her drink and leading him up the next flight of stairs. The room here was packed with people, neon lights flashing from the center of the room to light up the darkness. Ciel had never seen anything like it before, and with his head and body drowned in alcohol, he was more than willing to explore. He hadn't been aware of how much he was consuming until he had stood up.

Ciel watched Dahlia continued to lead him as he diverted from the path to investigate the lights. The center of the room had a floor with changing lights, each one changing a different color at the same time. The pounding music was almost deafening in the center but was somehow exciting for Ciel. This was nothing like London or the human world at all for that matter.

The boy turned to return to Dahlia but found the path he had made had been closed, and with most of the dancers taller than him he realized he was lost. Not that it necessarily bothered Ciel, it wasn't like his demon could save him anyway. That thought made him roll his eyes.

Jumping at a sudden touch, Ciel turned to look at Dahlia who had grabbed him. She leaned in close to his ear. "If you wanted to dance, that's all you had to say," She said, her hot breath on his ear giving him shivers. Ciel didn't have a chance to reply - rather, he couldn't find the words fast enough - before she grabbed his hands in hers and swung her hips at the speed of the music. She bobbed her head, a giant smile on her face.

Ciel tried to follow her movements. Sober Ciel would have told her this was absolutely ridiculous and he most certainly did NOT dance, but the alcohol made him not care enough to say anything. He swung his hips in the opposite motion of her, causing her to laugh. "You're getting the hang of it!" She praised, pulling him closer to her to avoid people from pushing them apart. Dahlia guided his hands to her hips as she continued to dance with him. Ciel's face felt hot as he tried to follow her movements. After what seemed like forever to the poor drunk earl, she leaned down and asked, "Do you still need the bathroom?" To Ciel's nod, she took his hand, lacing her fingers with his and pulling him toward them.

The bathroom was off to the side. There seemed to be more people hanging out outside of the bathroom than inside because the noise was much quieter than the center. Dahlia took him inside the bathroom. "I don't need your help, I can do it," Ciel said drunkenly, leaning onto the counter with one arm as a wave of nausea crashed over him. With a sip of her drink, Dahlia set her drink on the counter.

"Listen, Ciel. I don't need to know anything about your human life. I don't care about any of that. But I see how your demon eyes you. He looks at you like he wants to eat you. I know you don't have a soul but that's not what I'm after," She said lowly. Ciel placed his hands on her, holding her at arm's length. She pushed them away. "I can tell your virginity is still attached. You've never been touched. He wants that from you."

"That's, weird. Please stop," Ciel said, his voice slurred. He hadn't realized how poorly his speech was tumbling out of his mouth when the music was always in his ear. "I just need to pee."

"Why waste your perfection on someone that isn't even highly respected in his species? This is what I'm made to do, Ciel," She growled in his ear, pushing him with his back against the mirrored wall. "Not many tell the tales of a succubus taking them."

"I need to get back - Sebastian," Ciel slurred. The lights were so bright, and her touch was very aggressive on his clothing. He rested his head back onto the wall. "Your skin - so gentle," He said, eyes closing against her touch. He felt her warm hands against his navel, trailing her fingers across his ribcage and sides as she gave soft praising purrs in his ear.

The door opened behind Dahlia. She looked into the mirror to see Sebastian, withdrawing her hands. "Oh, Sebastian! I was just taking him to pee-"

"Save it, Dahlia," Sebastian said, his voice low. He dismissed her with one hand, glaring at her as she left.

"He came on to me, you know," Dahlia hissed under her breath as she passed him, shutting the door loudly behind her. Ciel opened his eyes a little as his butler approached him. He felt swift fingers rebuttoning his shirt.

"Sebastian - I have to um... pee. I have to pee," Ciel said, feeling him grab his wrist like earlier and began to lead him back out of the bathroom.

"We're leaving. You can pee outside." Sebastian's voice was stern and sharp, using his free arm to move people out of the way. Ciel stumbled behind him, trying to keep his pace as he voiced protests. They became louder once they pushed passed the front doors into the streetside.

"Let- go!" Ciel slurred angrily at him, stopping his walking and becoming dead weight. Sebastian turned immediately to catch him from falling, picking him up like a child with ease in one movement. Ciel could smell the alcohol on his breath. "You're drunk!" He accused, trying to push his way out of his arms.

"Stop." The shortness to his tone cut into Ciel like a knife, silencing him immediately as he jutted his jaw and looked behind them.

"I can walk y' know," Ciel muttered, resting his jaw on Sebastian's shoulder. The silence between them settled uncomfortably as Sebastian took him to where they arrive. A small pulsating circle was etched into the ground, the same symbol on Sebastian's hand. The butler stood in the circle, stating a few old Latin words before they were teleported back to the dark woods of the Phantomhive Estate. Sebastian set Ciel on a tree stump as he began the ritual to close the portal.

Ciel tried to pay attention, clinging onto the sides of the stump as he practiced breathing exercises to prevent himself from vomiting. He could tell by the unphased look on Sebastian's face that he was... disappointed? Angry? Upset?

"You're going to have dinner and go to bed," Sebastian stated as he pulled on his gloves from his pocket. Ciel scoffed as if he was offended.

"I don't think you can tell me what to do, asshole," Ciel garbled at him, crossing his arms. His body swayed slightly, trying to figure out his center of balance. "Don't you dare even touch me-" He began as Sebastian picked him up from the stump. He went to smack him in drunken anger from being disobeyed, but his hand was caught by the butler. His grip on his wrist was tight.

"I told you specifically to not make a fool of yourself. What did you do?"

"Let go of me."

"You specifically agreed to not do anything of that sort in my domain and you deliberately did anyway." Sebastian's voice was low, staring at Ciel directly. Ciel could feel small burning pulses in his eye with every word.

"Sebastian, I order you to let go!" Ciel tried to pull his arm away from him, causing the butler to tighten his grip.

"If I were not sworn to protect you I would have left you." Ciel stopped pulling his arm away, meeting his gaze. He felt a small lump in his throat at those words, his arm falling limp in his grasp. He replied with silence, looking away from him toward the estate. Sebastian began to walk towards the manor.

Each step his butler took nauseated the earl. The lit lanterns at the front of the house were less than comforting, knowing that the servants were not at the house at this time. The clock in the lobby showed the time to be 7:30 PM. Dusk had already swallowed London, the wintertime bringing less sunshine every day until Christmas.

Sebastian set Ciel down in a chair in the dining room, taking away the displayed silverware as he entered the kitchen and left Ciel alone. Ciel crossed his arms across his chest, staring at the spinning table cloth. Why did Sebastian care that Dahlia was all over him? Why did Sebastian care about what he did in a lawless place? He had not made any complaints when he ordered his drink, despite being under the drinking age. Was this sudden aggression because Ciel left his sight? Surely he had to have seen him get up from the table, he was not blind and only had a single drink. Sebastian was never this aggressive when he and Elizabeth kissed or held hands.

Ciel leaned his head back into the chair, letting out a long sigh. He had never seen Sebastian get so... aggressive towards him. It wasn't that he was afraid of him but he did not want to lose the respect he took so long to gain, especially with someone that he was going to be around for a long, long time. Settling his feet onto the ground, Ciel used the table to help him stand up. Focusing on each step and where he was going rather than where he was at, he stumbled into the kitchen, shoving open the swinging door.

Sebastian turned immediately to look at him, standing at the gas stovetop with a skillet on top. "My lord?"

"Listen here," Ciel said, leaning against the door for support. "I don't like how you treated me in there, I think it was incredibly unprofessional." Sebastian raised an eyebrow at him, stirring whatever was in the pan around with a wooden utensil. "I'd like an apology."

"An apology?" Sebastian asked, watching the swaying boy. A short sigh came from his nose, setting the utensil down and approaching him. He fell to one knee, placing his hand over his heart. "My lord, I apologize for my outburst. It was incredibly unprofessional of me." He waited for the earl to say something in return, but was given a sloppy pat to the head.

"I forgive you," Ciel said, giving a few pats to the top of his butler's head. Sebastian stood from the floor. "What're you making?"

"Simple omelette. Cheese, tomatoes, diced peppers, eggs of course." Sebastian turned to return to the skillet. "Are you going to stand in the doorway or take a seat?" He gestured to the wooden step stool not far from where he stood. Ciel grumbled something as he went to sit, missing and falling to the floor. He sat where he fell, leaning his back against the counter with his legs spread on the floor.

"Can I ask something without you grabbing me again?" Ciel asked somewhat sarcastically, looking at Sebastian's legs. Without waiting for his response, he asked, "Why do you like Dahlia if she does that?"

"I'm assuming you mean, "tries to bed" people," Sebastian clarified. "She is a succubus. Her entire bloodline is based on bearing the children of men she seduces." He glanced over at the boy, who had wrinkled his nose in disgust. "I cannot fault her for her instincts."

"That's vile," Ciel replied honestly. He heard a small chuckle from Sebastian. "I wouldn't have let her do it."

"It looked a lot like you were too intoxicated to care," Sebastian said gently, feeling a weak smack on his legs. He grinned as he finished the dish, plating it on chinaware. "Would you like help into the dining room?"

Ciel shook his head, reaching both hands up to grab the plate. Sebastian hesitated to give him the plate on the floor, but he did set it in the boy's lap with a fork. Ciel remained silent as he ate away at the omelette, eating every last bite before setting the plate on the ground next to him before attempting to stand. Sebastian gave him a hand, resting his hand on his lower back to steady him. "Bedtime," Ciel stated.

"It's quite early, but I suppose sleeping this off will be beneficial to you." Sebastian helped Ciel walk out of the kitchen and up the stairs, being patient with every clumsy movement he made. Getting him undressed and dressed again was a chore in itself, Ciel flopping back onto the bed as dead weight as Sebastian pulled each layer off with more difficulty than he would with sober Ciel. He watched Ciel's face, who was already dozing on and off from the comfort of his bed.

"Sebastian?" Ciel asked wearily, watching the last of his nightgown buttons be put together. "I don't like drinking."

"I would advise against it in the future, my lord. At least, my type of drinks," Sebastian added, moving Ciel so his head was at the pillows. "Is there anything else that you require from me at this moment?" He asked, pulling the blankets up to cover him.

"No," Ciel answered with a yawn, burying his face into the pillows. He softly groaned, his head spinning at a million miles a minute. He felt Sebastian gentle pull one leg to hang off of the bed as well as the same side's arm.

"This will help. Your trash bin is here if you need to... emesis." Sebastian tucked the bin on the side his limbs hung off of. "I will bring water in a few minutes for your nightside." Sebastian watched Ciel's face for a moment before he turned around to leave. He heard the boy grumble under his breath as he left. He gave a soft chuckle, pausing to close the door.

"Goodnight, Ciel."


	9. Happy Birthday!

Today was the day. That dreaded, god-awful day that could never be avoided.

"Happy birthday, Ciel," Elizabeth whispered, drawing Ciel from his slumber. Even though his secretive drinking escapade occurred only a few days prior, Ciel felt just as groggy as he did with his hangover. Batting his eyes awake, Ciel made brief eye contact with his fiance sitting on the end of his bed. Ciel softly groaned and pulled the blanket higher.

"You know how I feel about my birthday," Ciel grumbled. Elizabeth giggled, scooting up to sit next to him on the side of the bed. In the last two years, she had outgrown the outlandish fashion of wide dresses and unnecessary bows but never compromised on the bright colors.

"We don't have to do anything crazy," Elizabeth said, brushing the hair out of his face with her fingers. "I just want to spend time with you. Without my chaperones," She added, crinkling her nose slightly. Her parents, Francis and Alexis Midford, were always overbearing on the girl with what she was or wasn't allowed to do based on it being 'lady-like'.

"I can have Sebastian accompany us if you wish. I doubt they would allow us to be alone." Ciel turned to lay on his back rather than his side, keeping his contracted eye closed as he looked up at the ceiling. "What would you like to do today?"

"Well, that's up to you," Elizabeth said with a giggle. "It's your birthday."

"Lady Elizabeth!" Both of the children turned their heads abruptly to see Francis Midford standing at the already opened doorway. "I cannot believe what I am seeing, you are not allowed to be alone with your fiance especially in his room. That is incredibly unladylike, and you are not a hussy!" The final words from her lip were almost a hiss. Elizabeth sighed, looking at Ciel with a saddened smile before she stood up from his bedside.

"I'll be downstairs waiting for you. Breakfast is almost done," She said, hand lingering on the bedpost. Ciel nodded slightly.

"Fetch Sebastian, then. I wish to be dressed." Elizabeth blew him a silent kiss without her hands as she turned to leave the room. His bedroom door was shut by Francis, and he could hear her scolding move down the hall. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he opened his other eye. He hated his birthday. Every year that passed never got any better- someone of some sort demanding he makes a public appearance, presents that never meant anything or dinner at a restaurant with sub-par meals. All Ciel ever wanted to do was stay in bed.

Sitting up with his legs over the side of the bed, Ciel stretched his arms above his head with a soft yawn. The gentle knock on the door was replied to with "Come in." The butler entered, shutting the door behind him, turning to the closet as he rifled for today's outfit.

"I overheard Lady Elizabeth talking about going out and about without her parent's presence," Sebastian informed, pulling an outfit from the closet. Ciel rolled his eyes slightly.

"I don't understand why she insists on my birthdays," Ciel said honestly, tilting his head up so Sebastian could unbutton his nightgown.

"It's one age closer to your agreed upon marriage," Sebastian glanced up at the boy's face as he worked on undressing him. "It's only a year away, my lord."

"Don't even remind me. Her parents are already planning." Ciel looked at the closed curtains, a bored expression on his face.

"Will you go through with it, young master?" Sebastian paused in dressing him, pulling the clothes off of the hanger.

"I didn't expect to live this long," Ciel answered honestly. "I don't know what I'll do. I enjoy her company, I think she is a very sweet girl. She would be better in the arms of someone else." He lifted his arms for the undershirt. "The affection I show her is purely from obligation. She is to be my wife, there is no way out of that, unfortunately. We have to preserve this bloodline, and I am the last of my blood." Ciel sighed through his nose, standing to allow Sebastian to finish dressing him. "What is for breakfast?"

"Lady Elizabeth requested a cheesecake pastry alongside fruit imported from Spain," Sebastian replied, tying his tie into a bow. Deeming him ready for his birthday breakfast, Sebastian made his leave. Ciel followed shortly after, tying his eyepatch on behind his head before his exit.

The dining room was decorated with balloons tied to the backs of each chair, the table decorated with bits of glitter and small pieces of shiny papers, each person sitting in a chair with a pointed party hat on their head. "Happy birthday!" rang throughout the room from the Midford Family and the Phantomhive Servants. Ciel forced a smile as he walked around the table to sit down in his chair at the end. Sebastian pushed in his chair as Mey Rin sat the pre-cut cheesecake on the table, her and Bardroy beginning to serve a slice to each of the guests. Ramekins containing fruit glazes were scattered across the table.

Breakfast chatter began between the Midfords with occasionally prompted commentary by the servants. Ciel watched his plate as he pulled off small bite-sized pieces, dipping it in the blueberry glaze he put on his plate before consuming. "So, Ciel," Edward began next to him. "What are your birthday plans?"

"My birthday plans?" Ciel repeated, looking to meet his cousin's stare. The rest of the party had gone silent. "Well, I would love to take the horses out for a ride today."

"That sounds delightful!"

"I wasn't finished," Ciel said, setting his fork down. "I would love to take the horses out for a ride today, with Elizabeth only." The eye contact from Edward suddenly became hostile.

"That isn't ladylike of her at all!" He exclaimed, gesturing to her. "Women simply should not-"

"This is my estate, Edward," Ciel stated, "If I would like to take my fiance out for a horse ride for my birthday, I am going to do so. I feel that is more than fair, wouldn't you say?" Ciel asked, looking over to Francis and Alexis. The looks on their faces told him exactly what their thoughts were, taking a moment to speak.

"I suppose a ride for your birthday would not be the end of the world," Francis said, looking to Elizabeth. "Is that something you would like to do?" Elizabeth looked nearly bursting with excitement. She took a deep breath before nodding.

"I would enjoy that," She said calmly, sneaking a glance at Ciel with a grin on her face. "Does an after-breakfast ride fancy you, my love?"

"Indeed," Ciel said with a short nod. "Finnian, I'd like you to grab Darcy and Aurora. Have them ready for after breakfast. Sebastian, please find Elizabeth's riding outfit - I'm sure she left one here last time they visited." Ciel waved his hand slightly as a dismissal before picking up his fork and finishing his meal.

Being properly dressed by his butler and Elizabeth by Mey Rin, the couple met at the stables with the supervision of Sebastian. "You look beautiful," Ciel said, beginning to help her mount Aurora. He knew Elizabeth had plenty of riding experience and was not the delicate, fragile, inexperienced girl that she pretended to be.

"Thank you, Ciel. You look dashing yourself," Elizabeth giggled, picking up the reigns. "I'm surprised they allowed us here. Is Sebastian going to watch us the whole time?" Ciel shook his head slightly, glancing at his butler as he petted Aurora.

"Aurora is a gentle horse, but she's fast. She has never bucked anyone off - at this estate anyway," Ciel added, giving the horse a final nose rub before mounting his horse, Darcy. He patted his shoulder gently, pulling himself up. "Darcy was difficult at first, but Finnian easily earned his trust."

"Finny always seems to know what animals need," Elizabeth commented as she watched her fiance take the reigns. "Are we going anywhere specific?"

"No," Ciel said not so truthfully, glancing at Sebastian before clicking his tongue twice. Darcy began to walk forward toward the open field. Elizabeth followed the same noise, Aurora following suit next to Darcy. The day was without a sign of a cloud or a breeze, each step giving a soft crunch of grass. When they reached the end of the fencing, Elizabeth guided her horse to turn around. "Where are you going?" Ciel asked, pulling Darcy to a complete stop as he began to dismount.

"What are you doing, Ciel?" Elizabeth asked, taking the reigns Ciel handed her to hold Darcy still. The earl went to the end of the wooden fence, pushing a few wooden bars with his gloved hands. Suddenly, he used his back leg to kick the first, second, and third bar out of place into the open field behind it. Elizabeth gasped. "How did you-?"

"I watched Darcy kick Finny into this fence. Sebastian asked them to fix it- to them, that meant popping the bars back into place." He picked up one of the bars and took it to Elizabeth. The nails on either end of the bar were bent and loose to the touch. Gathering the other two bars and moving them out of the way, Ciel gestured for Elizabeth to go ahead. With a giggle, she followed his gesturing, pausing to wait for him to mount his horse and follow her.

Past the fencing was more pasture and eventually a gently sloping meadow that extended further than Elizabeth ever imagined it would. Treeline began at the end of the meadow. At the bottom of the meadow was a curved river about 3 meters across, entering the meadow from the lefthand woods and exiting in the same manner on the right. Pulling their horses into a canter, the couple rode over the meadow to the riverside with the boy in lead.

"Woah, Darcy," Ciel said, pulling back on the inside reins and pushing his heel gently into the horse to ease him into a small circle to slow him to a halt. Elizabeth did the same with Aurora, dismounting with Ciel's help when she came to a stop.

"I didn't know that your land was this far out," Elizabeth commented as she watched her fiance dismount.

"Because it isn't." Ciel glanced at her, petting Darcy as he began to lead him toward the water. Elizabeth stared at him.

"Ciel! We're trespassing!" Elizabeth exclaimed, grabbing Aurora's reins. When Ciel shrugged with his back turned to her, she huffed and began to walk toward him to the riverside. The river itself was about 3 meters deep at the center, different plant life at the bottom waving with the movement of the water beneath the sheet of ice.

"I highly doubt anyone is in these parts this time of year," Ciel said honestly, ruffling through the bag on the side of Darcy to pull out two apples. He gave one to Elizabeth before reaching back in the bag and pulling out two carrots, giving one to her as well. He held the carrot to Darcy's mouth, who took it gratefully. He gave a soft pat to his nose before the boy sat down at the waterside, the heels of his boot barely touching the icy surface.

Elizabeth took a seat as well, mimicking his position. She gave a soft sigh as she bit into the apple, staring into the dark woods. "I enjoy being by ourselves," She said, placing her arm through Ciel's elbow.

"Peace and quiet are nice," Ciel agreed, "Not having to hear your parents yell about you breathing wrong, or Edward telling me that I treat you horrible, or Sebastian's snarky comments."

"I don't think they're that bad," Elizabeth said in a defensive tone, taking another bite of her apple. "They're-"

"Controlling? Invasive? Overbearing?" Ciel looked over at her, tilting his head to the side. "Please, enlighten me about how great it is to be constantly watched and criticized."

"It's not like you're any different." Elizabeth met his gaze. Ciel raised his eyebrows.

"Are we going to do this right now, Elizabeth?" Ciel asked, almost accusingly. Elizabeth furrowed her eyebrows and looked away from him back at the woods. The silence that settled between them was only broken by the occasional snorts of their horses behind them, who wandered the small meadow at their own leisure.

"I just don't know why you don't like them so much," Elizabeth said quietly after a few minutes had passed. Ciel gave a soft sigh, discarding his apple core behind him.

"They make you feel bad for being yourself. I don't know if I could live with someone who made me feel like that."

"That's how all parents are, Ciel. I guess you should be glad you have none," Elizabeth snapped, immediately regretting her words. Ciel stared at her in astoundment, mouth ajar.

"I can't believe you said that." Ciel stood up after a moment of processing her words. "I truly cannot believe you Elizabeth. Of all people on this planet, you were the last I expected to say that to me."

"I'm sorry, Ciel. I just-" Her words were interrupted by a loud cracking noise and a splash of ice-cold water, being yanked into the water by something.

"Elizabeth!" He exclaimed, rushing to the waterside. He saw the golden strands of hair being pulled upstream, beginning to run to follow along the shore. Ciel jumped over rocks and exposed roots on the riverside, trying to keep up. After a minute of following, the creature let go of her, Elizabeth struggling to reach the surface from the weight of her clothes. Ciel stripped his jacket, overshirt, and shoes off, tossing them to the ground with the gun he had tucked in the back waistband of his pants before jumping into the water.

Elizabeth grabbed onto him, coughing and choking on water. Ciel began pulling her to the side, pushing her up onto the grass. The cold ate away at Ciel, burning his skin with icy temperatures. "Take off your wet clothes, wear my jacket," he began to instruct before he felt a cold, slimy hand on his ankle. Holding onto an exposed tree root hanging over the water, Ciel tried to kick whatever was holding him. He felt his hand slip a little off of the root, being tugged like a chew toy. "Lizzie," Ciel managed, feeling the slimy grip move up his ankle and grab his thigh, giving a quick tug to successfully bring him under the water.

Ciel winced at the pain in his palm before trying to reach for his knife tucked away in a pocket, bringing the blade out and looking for his opponent. Meeting the eyes of the creature, Ciel froze. Deep green eyes met his own, nearly touching his face. He could make out gills and scales on the humanoid figure. The way this thing stared at Ciel was mesmerizing, making him forget he was being pulled further into the river depth. It rested its hand on Ciel's chest, beginning to push downward. The pressure snapped Ciel out of his mind, taking a sharp jab at the creature.

The creature let out a screech at contact, withdrawing its hand from his chest. The burning sensation in Ciel's lungs grew more painful as he tried to kick its other hand from him and swim upwards. He saw Elizabeth standing - was she just watching?

Bang.

The grip on his ankle was let go, and Ciel was able to reach the surface. Elizabeth grabbed onto him, pulling the sputtering boy up onto the grass beside her. Each breath was rugged, spitting up water with every gasp for air. Ciel leaned back in the grass, pulling his legs away from the riverside. "Lizzie?" He questioned, looking up at her. In her right hand was his gun.

"I'm so sorry Ciel," Elizabeth said, kneeling next to him. "I didn't mean to be hurtful - I almost lost you," She cried, pulling him close. Ciel rested his face against her chest. "You're bleeding," She said, pulling his hand up. The hand that was holding the root had a gash across his palm from being yanked away from it.

"I'm okay, honestly," Ciel said, sitting up in the grass away from her. He spotted a small silver piece in the water where he was almost drowned. Leaning over the side, he picked the small piece on a thin wire chain out of the water and flipped it over. His eyebrows furrowed at the imprint on the front side - a dog-like creature.

Pocketing it in his shorts, he stood up carefully, turning to look at Elizabeth. She was soaking wet, hair plastered straight down her face and back, her rider's outfit reduced to a soaked blouse and her rider's pants and boots. "Your parents are going to kill us," Ciel said with a sigh. This made Elizabeth laugh.

"You're right. They will. What shall we tell them?"

"I'll explain it all." Ciel turned away from her to take off his wet undershirt, pulling on the dry overshirt. He handed her his dry jacket to protect her from the cold air.

"Don't blame yourself for anything!" Elizabeth warned, pulling the jacket on over top of her blouse. "It was both of us." Ciel nodded, only half-listening as he pocketed his knife and pulled on his shoes.

"Where did you learn to shoot a gun?" Ciel asked, reaching his hand out to take it from her. She handed it back, grinning at him.

"Edward had classes. I paid attention to them. You know how they would never allow me to do that - it was a fight to learn to fence," Elizabeth reminded, watching Ciel pocket the gun in its original place. "Besides, why do you always carry that thing?"

"Sebastian is not always there to protect me." Ciel helped her button the jacket up to cover herself up. "There are many who want me dead. I cannot go without a fighting chance." He buttoned the top button, giving her a small smile. She gleamed at him, embracing him tightly.

"I love you, Ciel," Elizabeth said in his ear, pecking his cheek.

"I love you too, Lizzie," Ciel said, glancing at the water. She looked at him expectingly, to which he responded with a reluctant kiss to her cheek. "Let's go back. No use in delaying the scolding."

Ciel and Elizabeth walked back to the meadows. The horses had wandered closer to where they had come from, allowing them to approach and mount them without an issue. When they came to the fence, one could see the gathering of the Midford family with Sebastian at the other end. Ciel fit the boards back into place before following Elizabeth's path.

"Miss Elizabeth Ethel Cordelia Midford!" Her mother's stern voice was heard as they approached. "Where in God's name have you been? And why are you soaking wet and wearing his riding jacket?" She scolded. Sebastian held the reins to Aurora as Elizabeth got off of the horse.

"Well, I-" She began but was interrupted by Ciel, who dismounted without help.

"It was my idea. I took the horses past the fence and convinced her to swim," Ciel said, bearing the glares and scowls of the three Midfords. "Elizabeth tried to convince me otherwise, but I refused and pressured her into it. My most sincere apologies," He said, bowing his head slightly.

"Swimming? In December? Are you out of your mind?" Francis scolded. "I thought you were more intelligent than that, Ciel." Ciel did not reply, glancing over at Elizabeth who scowled at him for taking the blame.

"I do apologize. Mey Rin should have spare clothing for my lady. It is too cold for her to be out here in this air in wet clothes." He gestured to his estate.

"Oh please. Don't pretend to care about her now," Edward scoffed as the parents took Elizabeth in their hands to march her to the estate. When they were out of earshot, he grabbed Ciel by the shoulders. "What are you playing at?" He hissed in his face. Ciel shrugged.

"I told you what happened. Ask Lizzie," Ciel said, keeping his gaze. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to change. I am freezing." Ciel removed his hands from his shoulders, glancing at Sebastian. "Come now," he said as he began to walk.

As he entered the estate, he sent Finny to put the horses away, going up the stairs. He passed the room Elizabeth was being dressed in, pausing to hear her speak with Mey Rin. "It was terrifying! It was green and slimy and it almost killed us!" She said excitedly. Mey Rin 'ooh'ed and 'aaa'ed at her story appropriately, Ciel continuing his walk to his room.

"It's a shame you could not prevent your urges to go swimming, young master," Sebastian said, stripping him of the cold and soaked riding clothes to dry him with a towel. Ciel rolled his eyes.

"Shut up. Something pulled us into the water. It was green, with scales and gills, webbed fingers and toes. It was very female human-looking but, when it got hurt, it screeched under the water. I also found this," He said, fumbling in his pants pocket before they pulled off to show him the silver token with the imprinted seal. "Sylvia was behind this, somehow."

Sebastian looked at the token, setting it on the bedside table. "That was a water nymph. They are usually lone creatures, very intelligent. It is no coincidence that one was there." He began to dry him off.

"Who owns the next property over?" Ciel asked, furrowing his brow in thought.

"It is government land," Sebastian answered honestly. "It's a reserved acre or so."

"I don't think this means she works in government," Ciel said. "How could she know where I reside? I had been there many times and have never been attacked." He stared ahead of him, beginning to be lost in his thoughts. Sebastian finished dressing him up in casual but warm attire.

"Perhaps she caught wind of her lycan friends, my lord," Sebastian suggested, finishing up the bow. Ciel looked to his butler.

"You're right, Sebastian," Ciel said in realization, sitting back on the bed as he thought. "I don't know how she figured it was me but that's the only explanation for why I was attacked the next time I went to the river."

"Did you tell anyone specifically about your involvement?" Sebastian questioned, standing by the door. Ciel racked his brain, standing suddenly.

"At the bar. In purgatory. I told your friends."

"I don't believe they would have any involvement-"

"No, not them. We were never secluded when I told them about the Lycans. Anyone nearby would have heard it. They're with Sylvia." Ciel's eyes widened slightly. "She has an afterlife creature working for her who was there that night." He met Sebastian's gaze, who grinned at him.

"Well done, young master," Sebastian said. "Another case coming together."

"My life could be in danger," Ciel said quietly, staring at him. "I can't trust going anywhere by myself alone. There are too many creatures for her to employ that could -"

"My lord, you know I am sworn to protect your life," Sebastian placed a hand over his heart with a smile. This only slightly reassured him.

"Elizabeth can no longer be here. Every moment she spends with me is a risk. She almost died from that nymph," Ciel said. "She saved me, but I cannot allow the burdens of the underworld to harden her, make her bitter. The Phantomhive servants can take care of themselves, I have seen that many times before. It is their job to protect this house and my bloodline - not hers." Ciel sighed, rubbing his face with his hands. "I need you to distract her parents and Edward so I can speak with her alone," He said to Sebastian, stepping past him through the door.

"As you wish, my lord."

Ciel went down the stairs to find dressed Elizabeth in the foyer, her parents standing next to the loveseat she sat on. Sebastian followed after him, gaining everyone's attention with a single clap. "For those who are interested in a once-in-a-lifetime experience, the young master has spotted two Capercailies in the back yard. I would suggest those who would love a story to tell to follow me, quietly!" Sebastian said. The Midford family immediately gained interest, having heard of the bird but never seeing one for themselves, let alone two!

As Elizabeth walked past Ciel, he grabbed her hand, signaling her to stay behind. He led her to the library, a door to the left, shutting it behind her. "Listen, we don't have too much time to talk. You have to go home," Ciel said in a hushed tone.

"Do you not want me here?" Elizabeth asked quizically. Ciel grabbed her hands with his.

"That's not it. I would love for you to stay, but I am being tracked. That thing from earlier - it was sent to hurt me. I cannot allow you to be in the way of harm."

"As far as I remember, I saved you." Elizabeth furrowed her eyebrows, tilting her head sarcastically at him.

"I know, Lizzie, I know. I would never be able to live with myself if you were hurt by something that was trying to hurt me." Ciel squeezed her hands gently. He could see the tears welling in her eyes. "I'll phone you, I'll write to you."

"What if something happens to you, Ciel?" She asked quietly, her voice tinged with sadness.

"That won't happen. I have Sebastian to protect me, I will not be without his accompaniment." Ciel pressed his lip to her hand, trying to assure her so the tears did not fall. He already angered her parents and did not need to give them another reason. "I promise, Lizzie. No tears."

"No tears," Elizabeth replied with a sniffle, pulling one hand from his to wipe her eyes. "Promise you'll write? And call?"

"I promise." Ciel gave her a small smile. "I'll have them call a carriage for you." She nodded slightly, the welling tears disappearing as he opened the library door and entered the foyer seconds before her parents returned.

"You should have seen it, Elizabeth!" Edward exclaimed, "It was a beautiful sight to see!"

"I'm sure it was," Elizabeth said gently. "I wish to return home if it is no trouble. I am starting to feel tired," She said to her parents. They comfortingly told her it was alright if they left.

Ciel had Finnian prepare the carriage for their home travels, saying goodbye to the family. Elizabeth gave Ciel a tight hug before they left through the entrance. "I'll miss you," She whispered to him. Ciel gave a small squeeze of a hug back.

"I'll miss you too, Lizzie," Ciel said quietly, giving a small wave to the others as they left. Sebastian closed the door behind them. Ciel sat on the loveseat in the foyer, resting his head back to look at the ceiling. Another crappy birthday wasted away by things out of Ciel's control. Again.

"I'll be in my study," Ciel said to Sebastian as he stood up after a few minutes of staring upwards. His walk upstairs was deliberately slow, taking his time to look at the borders of the railing and designs in the carpet as he approached his study.

On the center of his desk was a small wrapped box with a bow. Curious, Ciel took a seat in his chair, pulling on one end of the bow. It came undone with ease, the paper unfolding with it. A brown box with one piece of tape holding it shut was underneath. Peeling off the tape, Ciel opened the box. In the center of this box was a pair of earrings, a red amber gem in the center. A note was stuck to the inside of the box, scrawled in a fancy, looping cursive.

_Happy Birthday, Young Master_


	10. Kitchen Nightmares

Nightime caressed the Phantomhive manor with winds and heavy rain, all but one sleeping undisturbed in their bedrooms. Ciel sat in the chair by his window, the curtain parted, watching the downpour against the panes. He rested his forehead against the cold glass. He was thankful this winter had not been cold enough to snow. Giving a soft sigh to fog up the pane, Ciel stood from the chair and allowed the curtain to close. He was unable to sleep, still thinking about the river nymph that attacked his fiance and himself earlier that day. Lighting a match from the tinderbox on his bedside table, Ciel lit the single candle and picked it up from the table before leaving his room with the intention to retrieve water from the kitchen.

The halls of the manor were eerie this time of night, occasional lightning strikes illuminating the halls through windows passed opened doors. Shadows of objects appearing on the walls in distorted fashions, occasionally making Ciel pause as his heart jumped from the suddenness. His bare feet were cold on the tiled floors, passing through the foyer to the dining room. He heard a loud crashing noise from the kitchen, smothering his gasp with his hand. His heart pounded in his throat as he approached the swinging door that led to the kitchen, placing his palm against the wood as he began to push it open.

Ciel held his breath as he pushed the door open enough to peek his head through. The kitchen looked undisturbed despite the crash. Pushing the door open more to stand in the doorway, Ciel brought the candlestick into the room with him. "Hello?" He asked to the presumably empty room. He felt ridiculous when no one replied - of course, there wouldn't be a reply. Giving a relieved sigh, Ciel set the candlestick on the countertop, opening a cabinet to reveal the sets of polished glasses. Pulling one from the shelf, Ciel set it on the countertop. Next to the cup, the boy set down the glass container of purified water. The lightning crashed again, and Ciel froze. His shadow against the wall stood 2.5 meters tall and 1.2 meters wide. Ciel's breath caught in his throat as he slowly turned around.

Behind him stood a giant boar, its dark fur matted with unknown substances, giant glowing eyes staring down at the boy, sharp teeth pointing out behind drooling chops. Its breath was the worst thing Ciel had ever come across, reeking of rotting meat and swamp water. He stared the boar in the face, his breath held as he processed the circumstance he was currently in. The lightning crashed in the yard, startling the boar who gave a loud growling snarl before he shoved Ciel backward into the countertop.

Giving a loud yelp, Ciel tried to shove the boar off of him, managing to kick it in the snout as he was shoved on top of the counter. The glass container smashed against the wall, broken glass and cold water covering the counter as Ciel scrambled away from the monster. "Sebastian!" He vociferated, smacking his head against the corner of a cabinet as he was shoved forward again by the boar. It grabbed ahold of him by his nightgown, pulling him off of the counter and onto the floor with its mouth. A winded grunt came from the lightheaded and dazed boy as he stared upwards at the boar directly into its grotesque mouth. It stood back on its hind legs, intending to stomp on the helpless earl.

As the boar came down, Ciel rolled over to his front, lifting himself with his arms and bringing his knees to his chest to stand with the momentum of running toward the dining room. Pushing open the door, Ciel ran directly into a figure, being knocked to the floor. Hard, ragged breaths came from him, turning his head to look at the charging boar from the floor as he crawled backward to get into the dining room. The door was shut, and the figure stood against it. Looking up at his savior, Ciel recognized the face and furrowed his brows slightly.

"Finnian?" He asked between breaths. The gardener held the door shut, despite the boar ramming into it repeatedly. "Where's- Where's Sebastian?"

"He's out in the garden, there are more of these things out there trying to get in! Cute animals they are - Mey Rin and Bard are out there too! I was sent in to check on you, young master," Finny said. He looked down at the Ciel, and his face turned to shock. "You're bleeding, sir!" He exclaimed. Ciel looked down at his left arm, an assortment of large and small cuts through his longsleeved nightgown soaked in his blood.

"I guess I am," Ciel said, the adrenaline in his system preventing any pain from being felt. "Can you put this thing outside? Preferably kill it?"

"I couldn't bring myself to kill a living animal," Finny said quietly, looking at the floor. He inhaled deeply and put his head up confidently. "But if my young master is in danger, I must do what must be done!" He backed away from the door in between the thumps, the door coming off the hinges with the last blow. Ciel shuffled himself away from being hit by the door, Finny taking a stance in front of the boar before he charged him back into the kitchen. The boar was surprised by his attacker, more crashing in the kitchen. Ciel could hear the grunts from both parties, standing carefully and quietly to peek around the door to look inside.

Finny had the boar pinned to the ground. While Ciel couldn't hear his words, he could see Finny whispering something to the creature before he took its jaw between both his hands and cracked it to the side in a singular motion. Immediately after the loud bone snaps, the boar began to disintegrate into a dark blue colored powder. Finny stood up from the boar, watching the corpse be reduced to dust. Ciel gave a soft gasp, approaching the gardener with caution.

Ciel leaned down to look at the powder. It was warm to the touch, spreading its vibrant color like ash across his fingers. In the very center of the pile, a small glittering circle on a loop stuck out like a shell in the beach sand. Ciel picked it up, feeling his heart pound as he turned it around to the front side in his palm. Staring him in the face was a dog-like animal. His stomach dropped, closing his palm around it in one hand as he stood up. "Attend to Sebastian at once. He's to find me in the bathroom."

"Yes, sir!" Finny said, giving a salute before taking off to the backyard. A soft sigh passed Ciel's lips as he began to trudge upstairs. His adrenaline was beginning to wear off, his arm and top of his head beginning to burn and ache. The earl stopped into the bedroom on his way to the master bath, flipping his pillow over to reveal the gun he kept for his safety. He brought it with him into the bathroom, shutting the door and locking it behind him. The only rooms in the house to have electrical lights were the master bathroom, the foyer and the dining room - Ciel was thankful he chose the bathroom for his waiting room for his butler.

Flipping the switch to the single chandelier, Ciel took a deep breath, setting the silver seal on the vanity counter. Looking into the mirror he could see the severity of his wounds - the glass from the water container had been smashed by his left shoulder and arm, a few deep cuts on his left tricep seeping blood into his nightgown. Small knicks covered his left palm, little dollops of blood easily wiped away. A large-sized bruise already began its formation on his right elbow and - lifting his nightgown - right hip from being knocked to the ground from a decent height. Upon further inspection, Ciel realized the top of his head was matted in blood. He must have busted it open on the wall cabinet.

The door was opened suddenly despite its lock, Ciel pointed the cocked and loaded gun at the door with his right hand, finger hovering over the trigger. "Beautiful reflexes, my lord," Sebastian praised, shutting the door behind him. Ciel let out an annoyed sigh as he set the gun on the vanity top.

"It's Sylvia. She sent whatever those things were. I found a silver coin." Ciel gestured to the vanity, rubbing his face with his hands, the blue powder smudging onto his cheeks and nose. "I can't do this anymore, Sebastian. I need answers. I refuse to live in fear in my own home." He leaned against the wall behind him, taking in the injured Sebastian. His butler had suffered a few tears in his jacket, blood dried across his wounds and staining the white undershirt. He watched Sebastian take the jacket off and lay it over a chair, beginning to roll up his sleeves.

"What is your next course of action, my lord?" Sebastian asked, approaching Ciel and beginning to take off his nightgown to assess his wounds. He paused to examine the bluenette's head. Ciel stayed still as he examined, wincing. "You are lucky, this isn't going to require sutures." Ciel let out a breath of relief. He did not answer his question - he had no idea where to go from here.

"What were those creatures?" Ciel asked, turning as he was gestured to so Sebastian could look at the wounds on his arm and shoulder.

"Shapeshifting spirits. These species are called Aswang from the Philippines. They are weak in the daylight, but at night time they can become any form they wish."

"From the Philippines?" Ciel repeated, turning his head to look at him. "She's able to contact people from across oceans." He watched Sebastian's face, who didn't return his stare. "What would you recommend?"

Sebastian paused, meeting his gaze. He said nothing for a minute before he returned to what he was doing. "I would see what families across Europe have access to international communication regularly. I would cross-reference my findings to coat-of-arms and family seals and compare those findings to the symbol on the token." He pulled the nightgown off entirely, and Ciel could feel him staring at his back. He felt his fingers brush against his ribs. "Does this hurt?"

"Not right now," Ciel said honestly. He moved so he could look behind him into the vanity mirror. A line of bruising about 5 centimeters in width ran across the entirety of his back. "I was pushed into the counter."

"I'm surprised nothing is broken, my lord," Sebastian said honestly. He began to fill a bath for him - between the ash, blood, and glass dust, it was pointless to wipe him down with a sponge. "While being soulless does make you more resilient than others, you are not entirely free from mortality."

"You aren't free from mortality either," Ciel said, sitting down on the stool.

"Well, yes and no. I can only be killed in this plane of existence by a Reaper - but I will return to my plane for recuperation. I can return if I so wish. I have died only twice before," Sebastian told him, giving a glance. Ciel's eyes widened a little at that. He had no idea of that factoid. He chuckled at his response. "I won't tell you about it if you wouldn't like me to, young master."

"I want to know," Ciel said, watching him add a few pinches of lavender to the bath.

"The first time was in Southern France, 34 thousand and some odd years ago," Sebastian began. "I was accidentally summoned by a woman who had lost her child to an animal attack. She was convinced her child could have been saved if her group had tried to save it - she wanted revenge. They were very simple people then. Nothing like today's humans." Sebastian swirled the water with his bare hand before gesturing for Ciel to get in. "She wanted them all to pay. I was fairly young, and while not my first contract it was my first contract that wished death upon others. I asked her how she wanted this to happen, she responded roughly - they did not have the same speech as modern humans- with the equivalent of"Something big". That was all she gave me. Two days later, the volcano near their hiding place erupted." Ciel paused, with one leg in the bath, looking at him in disbelief. "The reaper who was in charge of collecting the souls had never seen a demon before- let alone one that was taking his souls. I should have walked away and I did not. I was sliced sideways," Sebastian chuckled, running an imaginary line with his forefinger from Ciel's rib to his shoulder.

Ciel finished getting in the tub, giving a soft wince as he leaned back and rested his arms along the edge of the tub as to not get the large cuts in the water just yet. Sebastian standing to the side made him - for whatever reason- nervous. "Can you sit on the stool?" Ciel asked. Sebastian raised his eyebrow at him, but he didn't deny his request as he brought the stool to the tub side and took a seat. "I would like to hear the second story." Sebastian nodded once.

"Very well. The second time was during the reign of the Shang Dynasty in China. I was purposefully summoned by Di Xin only days before he became king. He wanted to indulge in the pleasures and sins of the human world - I assisted him in his plight to do so. A reaper by the name Duan Ming took me by surprise, bribed by Wu of Zhou to kill me so that they may overthrow Di Xin and begin a new era of history. It was an unfair fight - quite embarrassing actually." He looked down at Ciel in the bath, who had his eyes closed with his face to the ceiling. "May I ask if you are feeling well?"

"Why do you ask that?" Ciel replied.

"You typically are not this casual around me, my lord." Ciel's eyes opened and he looked over at him. "You asked for my opinion and asked me to sit in front of you. Are you feeling well?" Ciel rolled his eyes at him.

"Perhaps I am weary of the butler display every day. Every day for the last five years as been the same routine, the same introduction, the same stupid puns as the last. If I was required to, I could take care of myself. I don't need you for that." Ciel paused to take a deep breath, sinking further into the bath. The water lapped at the small and large cuts equally, the burning sensation not bothering him. "I don't need anyone to watch over me. Sometimes, I desire companionship."

"Lady Elizabeth-"

"No, I don't love her. I don't enjoy her company the same way I enjoy yours," Ciel admitted, his face red. "I'm not saying I love you either, you idiot - I just don't mind setting aside my business requirements to do things with you," He clarified as he saw the butler's smirk. "I just figure that if I'm forced to spend the rest of my life bonded to you through a contract I may as well enjoy it."

"Does this mean I am more than a pawn to you, sir?" Sebastian asked teasingly. He enjoyed watching him emotionally squirm to avoid admitting anything specific.

"You enjoy watching me suffer. If I am not in a danger you can't save me from, you love the show. You could have prevented what happened in the kitchen," Ciel began. "When Aunt Red tried to kill me, I heard the way you called for me. There was uncertainty in your voice. You did not know if Grell would kill you before you could reach me." Ciel's fists clenched slightly at the memory. "You are selfish, and you use me for your entertainment especially now that you receive nothing from my death or my life either way. You will always be a pawn to me." Ciel met his gaze. "I never intend to change that. You are just as disposable to me as I am to you, now."

With a grin on his face, Sebastian bowed his head. "I would never have expected different, my lord."


	11. A Lead

The young master was allowed to sleep in today without disruption. Clock hands rolled over the first afternoon hour without a stir from the boy, causing the butler to check in on him. As the door opened, a voice from the bed immediately ordered the door to be shut and the person to leave. The butler ignored his orders, pulling the curtain back to allow the light to pour into the room. "You have been sleeping all day, my lord."

"I can do whatever I please," Ciel mumbled from the bed, covering his head with the blankets. Every ounce of his body was sore or bruised from that night's kitchen surprise. "Shut the curtain."

"I have brought afternoon tea and biscuits, as well as a collection of family names responsible for importing and exporting in southern England." Sebastian watched the boy pull the covers back enough to see out of.

"And?"

"There is one family, in particular, I believe you would find rather interesting. Now, rise and shine, young master," Sebastian said as he pulled the blankets back. As he waited for Ciel to get up, he looked in the closet for the outfit for today. Giving a cat-like stretch, the boy sat up, crossing his legs together and rubbing his eyes. "I'll have to change your gauze before I dress you," Sebastian said, pushing the cart from the end of the bed to the side. Along with the tea and biscuits were laid out gauzes, ointments, and medical tape.

Ciel didn't reply, swinging his legs over the bedside and allowing him to take the nightgown off. The bruise on his hip and elbow had become dark purple, and the bruise across his lower back had turned red and dark blue. "I feel as if I've been trampled by horses," Ciel said, tilting his to the side head as Sebastian peeled the old gauze from his shoulder and arm off.

"I figured as much. Green tea will help you heal," Sebastian said, spreading ointment with an ungloved finger on the gauze before pressing it to Ciel's wounds. He used the medical tape to secure the gauze to his arm. "How does your head feel, young master?"

"Aching, but not painful." Ciel watched him wipe his hands off on a towel before putting his glove back on, beginning to pour the tea. Ciel picked up the few papers on the end of the cart to read through the names and their connection to international shipments, then compared to their family coat of arms and seals. He cooperated with Sebastian, giving his limbs up when he needed them. "So this boils down to the Montello Family," He stated.

"The Montello Family has a small hand in international imports and exports, but regularly does so with eastern islands. They have settled in Denmark and Switzerland - their Swiss location is known for dog training, but their Denmark location is what's known for international trade." Sebastian finished tying his bow.

"It sounds like their Denmark branch is the one we should look into," Ciel said, setting the papers back onto the cart. "We should leave as soon as possible. Today, we pack. Tomorrow, we leave."


	12. The Ferry

The plan is set in markings on a map that was rolled up in the small knapsack Ciel carried. The train was to take them to the ferry and the ferry to take them to Belgium. From there, the two were to take another train from Belgium through Germany to Denmark. The journey was long, totaling a traveling time of about four days if nothing was delayed. Ciel was unexcited about the ferry travel, the constant swaying motion making his stomach churn. With the ten-hour ferry ride just ahead of them, Ciel finished the cheese danish on a bench overlooking the North Sea in Margate. Sebastian sat next to him, silent as he listened to the small munches and crinkling of wax paper.

The unbroken silence between them was comfortable, the soft breeze not effected the bundled pair as it carried salty air past their noses. The dock was busy with all kinds of folk, some carrying many crate boxes on wheeled platforms and others with nothing but the cloth on their backs. It seemed as if everyone was in a hurry, bustling around each other without giving a second glance to the pair on the bench. Their carriage ride here was uneventful and equally quiet, leaving quite early in the morning to be here in time for the noon ferry leave. With Sebastian's pocketwatch indicating a quarter until 12, he stood as he clicked it shut and slipped it into his pocket.

"Young master, we should be going," Sebastian suggested, watching the boy crinkle the paper that had held the danish and toss it in the trash bin next to the bench. Ciel stood up, picking up his knapsack and beginning to walk to the correct dock number that their ferry was waiting at. The luggage pulled by his butler, the boy took the tickets from his jacket pocket, waiting in line behind the few others boarding the ship.

"Ah, Mr. Phantomhive! A pleasure to see you again," The Ticketmaster greeted as he took the tickets, punching them on the ends with a small metal hole puncher. "Off to the mainland, I see!"

"Strictly a business trip," Ciel said, taking the tickets from him. "How's the wife?"

"Not so well, I'm afraid," The Ticketmaster said honestly, "They believe she has cholera."

"I'm terribly sorry," Ciel said, shoving the tickets into his jacket. "I wish the best for you and your wife," he said with a small goodbye wave before he boarded the ferry. The luggage aside from the earl's knapsack was taken by a ferry member to join the other luggage in the storage deck. Since the ferry was not an overnight ride, this particular ship had no guest quarters with beds, but rather an abundance of accommodation for patrons for entertainment and leisure purposes. A restaurant, a large dining hall, a ballroom with a small orchestra, and a fully stocked bar were some of the amenities for the travelers to enjoy.

Ciel avoided the crowds of people gathered in the rooms, slinking past tables against the wall and keeping his head down. Past the dining area and bar was a door that led to the empty outdoor seating area. Ciel sat down in a chair that faced away from the sea toward a table. "Would you not like to enjoy the view, sir?" Sebastian asked half teasingly, knowing Ciel suffered from seasickness.

"I would prefer not to," He said, opening his knapsack and pulling out a velvet bag with a row of buttons on top. "Sit down, Sebastian. I wish to play a game of dominoes." Undoing each button, Ciel dumped the ivory squares onto the table and began to flip them with the dot side down. Sebastian took a seat across from him.

"Ten hours of dominoes sounds entertaining, my lord." Sebastian helped flip the last few pieces over. Ciel scoffed.

"I brought other things as well. I find it better than trying to sit in silence." Ciel pulled a domino from the pile, gesturing for Sebastian to do the same. "I also have a ball-in-a-maze, a puzzle, and a couple of books." Ciel showed the piece he had drawn to his butler, Sebastian's number higher than his. The butler began to draw 7 dominoes from the pile before Ciel did the same.

The game of dominoes continued without many conversations between the two of them, the ferry taking its course within a few minutes of the game beginning. Occasionally people would step outside to enjoy the air and sight, stopping at their game to watch before going back inside. Near the end of their game, Ciel stood up. "I'm going to the water closet. I'll return shortly - no cheating," He said, setting his knapsack of entertainment on the chair before taking his leave inside.

The water closet was on the downstairs level, a single-toileted room with cabinets of towels, cloths, and table linens. A small bowl of heated water stood underneath a large mirror with a bar of soap sitting in a separate container. Ciel wasn't entirely sure how the toilet system on a ship worked, but all he was concerned about was the nagging feeling from his bladder. He stood in front of the toilet, unbuttoning his trousers and focusing his gaze at the ceiling. He furrowed his eyebrows at the small cobweb in the corner of the room, expecting a cleaner standard. He finished his business, rebuttoning the front of his pants and standing in front of the mirror to wash his hands in the basin.

Submerging his hands into the water, Ciel let his hands rest in the water before picking up the soap in his hands. He saw a movement in the mirror, pausing to turn around. The textured glass in the cabinets held back a scurrying shadow, an eerie feeling rising in Ciel's chest. He set the soap down before reaching his hand out to grab the handle of the cabinet and pulled it open. The cabinet lined with cloth of various patterns was otherwise empty, leading Ciel to sigh in relief that his mind was just playing tricks on him. Turning around to the mirror, his eyes widened in horror.

Hundreds of large spiders covered the mirror, wall, and door. Each had a diameter of about 10 inches, covered in prickly hair and wiggling its pedipalps. All eyes laid on Ciel, who's heart rate jumped significantly as he hurried back towards the toilet. The army of arachnids began crawling toward him, spiders beginning to crawl from the open cabinet, under the door, and underneath other cabinets. Ciel stepped on top of the toilet, his hands shaking and his voice stuck in his throat. His thoughts raced, remembering his kidnapping by Claude. Sebastian said demons never really die - was he back to exact revenge?

As the spiders got closer, Ciel found it harder and harder to breathe, pressing a hand against the wall to steady himself as he struggled to suck in breaths. "Se-Seba-" He tried between attempted exhales, feeling a tickle on his hand. Looking over, he saw a spider climbing onto him, giving him a hard bite. A pained yelp left his mouth as he shook it off of his hand. He was becoming dizzy, hearing a high-pitched ring in his ears. His thoughts were consumed by Sebastian's name, desperate for him to hear.

The bathroom door opened, Sebastian standing in the doorway. He saw an empty bathroom, an opened cabinet, and a panicking earl standing on the toilet lid shaking his hands off violently. He shut the door behind him, approaching the boy who immediately latched onto Sebastian for safety. "Spi-spi-," Ciel attempted, tightening his fists on Sebastian's tailcoat.

"My lord, please calm down." Sebastian took him out of the bathroom, taking care to not allow anyone to see Ciel in this state. The door over was a supply closet, Sebastian shutting the door behind them and setting the boy onto a stool. This room was spider-free, allowing Ciel the chance to try and calm down. Since this was from panicking and stress, his inhaler was not necessary unless he could not calm down by himself.

Ciel leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and face in his hands. Flashbacks of Claude and Alois filtered through his head. His heart felt heavy at the remembrance - he had never tried to process or remember the events at that estate. He felt tears well up in his eyes, his panic turning into anger directed at himself.

"My lord?" Sebastian kept his voice calm, watching the ragged attempts of breathing turn to slow inhales and exhales.

"The bathroom was full of spiders. Claude is back, he wants revenge for what we've done."

"There were no spiders in the bathroom," Sebastian stated, watching Ciel look up at him. "What did they look like?"

"About this size, covered in hair," Ciel showed him the diameter of the spiders with his hands. Sebastian gave him a soft but sweet smile.

"Claude's form is not that type of spider. It sounds like you saw a hallucination of huntsman spiders." Sebastian kneeled in front of the boy, catching his gaze. "You're radiating with misplaced anger." Ciel looked away from him, furrowing his eyebrows.

"It's been almost three years." Ciel stared at the storage rack with cleaning supplies.

"No one will lay another finger on you. I promised you that." Sebastian watched Ciel's expression as it turned into an eye roll.

"I no longer care about that. At this point, I welcome death with an outstretched hand," Ciel muttered. He inhaled deeply. "I was so easily manipulated. I was so weak." He could feel his butler's eyes on his face. Sebastian gave a soft sigh.

"You were manipulated because I allowed it," Sebastian admitted to the boy. Ciel snapped his head to look at his butler. "Before your duel with Alois, I made a deal with Faustus. Your soul was unobtainable - the only way to obtain it was for you to remember your revenge. Alois was agreed upon to be a pawn - for you to kill, for me to have your soul, and for Faustus to have his. Things went awry, and Claude wanted you for himself."

"You betrayed me." Ciel's voice was monotonous. Sebastian's grim expression reminded Ciel of the principal he had become lenient on - never trust anyone. The earl stood up, pushing past the butler and yanking open the door. He paused in the doorway. "You were a fool to believe you could use me to your advantage without consequence." His companion watched the door shut loudly, left alone in the storage closet.

Ciel went to the top deck, returning to his game of dominoes. He held his knapsack open at the side of the table and used his other arm to swipe all of the ivory pieces into the bag. He wasn't sure how to compartmentalize this new information, detaching himself from all emotions. When he returned inside, he saw his butler coming up the stairs, almost immediately making eye contact with the boy. Ciel broke the gaze and took a seat at the very end of the bar, opening the book titled  The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde  .

Ciel ignored his butler, immersing himself into the text after he ordered a cup of tea from the bartender. _ Mr. Utterson the lawyer was a man of a rugged countenance, that was never lighted by a smile; cold, scanty and embarrassed in discourse... _


	13. Long Train Ride

** _Author's Note - Terribly sorry for the delay! I lost my laptop and was unable to write for this last month or so. Thank you for all the supporters, hopefully, we can continue with some traction :) _ **

Ten hours and forty-five minutes passed on the ferry. Pale in the face, the thrice-vomited Ciel half stumbled off of the ferry onto the docks when they docked. He did not wait for Sebastian as he went to find their luggage, bidding the Ticketmaster a good evening. Their train was scheduled to leave in 20 minutes. They were slightly behind, the train station about 15 minutes from the ferry by carriage. Ciel stood at the corner side and held a gloved hand out, pulling his scarf around his cold nose and cheeks. A single-horsed carriage pulled to the side after a moment of Ciel hailing.

"Where to?" The man on the top asked, accepting the coins Ciel gave offered for the ride before sliding down to open the door for the boy.

"The train station, please," Ciel said, taking a step inside. The door shut, the carriage shaking slightly as the driver pulled himself back into his seat. A small slap of reigns made the carriage pull forward, Ciel looking out of the window. Still on the docks, Sebastian's narrowed eyes met Ciel's casual gaze as the boy gave a smileless wave. The earl sat back in his seat with his knapsack to relax for the short ride.

The ride was a well-needed break from the rocking motion of the boat. This drive was long enough for Ciel to immerse himself in his thoughts. His heart, underneath the barricades and brick walls, was hurt on learning Sebastian's betrayal. He felt foolish for trusting a demon, or at least unquestioning of the situation. The distance between them that he had allowed to close could no longer be, knowing of the truth.

The carriage came to a halt outside of the train stations. Ciel opened the door and bid the driver goodbye. Outside of the station was a caller, yelling out the leaving times of each train. "To Oldenberg - Last Call!" The caller yelled from his podium, not looking up from his papers. Ciel opened up his winter jacket and pulled out the pre-purchased tickets from the London station for this ride. He walked to the gentleman holding the blackboard sign with "Oldenberg" scrawled, handing the tickets to him. The gentleman furrowed his eyebrows.

"Two tickets for a trip?" His accent thick, he looked at the boy after punching through both of them.

"My butler is on his way." Ciel took his tickets back and gave a single head dip as a thank you before he walked to the platform to step into the sleeping car. The carpeted floors and booths with tables lined against either side of the train greeted him, windows with an optional pull blind matching with each table. Taking a seat in a booth, Ciel pulled his knapsack into his lap and leaned back into the seat. A soft sigh passed his lips as his eyes shut. The aroma in this car was pleasant citrus, a soft mixture of lemon and orange swirling. It was such a refreshing and yet calming scent, lulling the already-tired boy to sleep as he rested his head against the wall of the train.

Ciel woke up to darkness. Hardly able to see directly in front of his face, he scooted out of the booth, pulling his knapsack onto his back. The earl kept his gloved hands on the tables and booth seats, taking slow steps toward the front. The only sound that could be heard was the rumbling of the train. "Hello?" His voice rang out in the car without response. His foot hitting the front wall, Ciel felt around for the handle of the car door in an attempt to walk to the next car. Swinging it open, more darkness consumed the outside. The wind picked up strands of his hair as he stepped outside, reaching for the guardrail.

Holding onto the guardrail, Ciel felt around for the next platform with his foot, stepping over successfully. This door opened outward with ease. Stepping inside the next car, the door shut behind Ciel without his intervention. Darkness took over this car as well, but an anxious feeling began to well up in Ciel's stomach as he used the booths and tables to guide him. After only a few steps, Ciel stepped onto a hard object, taking him by surprise and stepping back quickly. He nudged the area with his feet before finding the odd, cylindrical object once more and stepping over it. As he went to take another step forward, his foot caught on something. Ciel put his hands in front of him, landing on wet carpet and his legs caught by whatever he had tripped on.

Grumbling, Ciel sat back on his haunches, feeling for whatever was in front of him. In a blinding flash, candles along the walls of the car were aflame. Ciel closed his eyes for a moment, letting his eyes adjust to the new lighting before he opened them to the horror in front of him. The object that had tripped him was a body strewn across the aisle, an older man with peppered hair and a sliced throat staring blankly at the boy. A horrified gasp caught in his throat, leaning backward and using the momentum to back up. His arm bumped into something - this time, a woman draped across the bench with her mouth agape, eyes were torn from their socket.

Ciel stood from the ground, his blood-soaked gloves leaving handprints. The unfortunate passengers to take this car were slumped in their seats, each leaving puddles of blood on the booths or soaked into the carpets. He tried to slow his startled heart, forcing slow breaths through his nose as he looked around at the disaster. Loud screeching noises from the last car caused his head to turn around before the train was sent to a sudden halt. The earl lost his footing, tumbling over the dead passenger on the floor. A soft grunt passed his lips, propping himself with his elbows as darkness and silence surrounded him.

Before he could pick himself up, the door that Ciel had come through was yanked open. Heavy footsteps creaked into the car, darkness clouding the figure. "Show yourself!" Ciel yelled between his terrified breaths, his free hand looking for his concealed handgun. The total blackout was broken by two glowing pink orbs that Ciel recognized immediately, followed by a wide toothy grin. A throaty growl filled the car as the luminous eyes and gleaming teeth lurched forward for Ciel's throat.

"Young Master?" Ciel gasped as he woke up. He shoved the concerned hand on his arm that belonged to his butler off. "Young Master, are you alright?" From across the table, his butler's eyebrows were furrowed into worry.

"I'm fine, Sebastian." Ciel took a deep breath and looked outside. "Was I asleep long?"

"For most of the trip," Sebastian said, watching the boy attentively. "We are about to arrive at the next train station."

"Wonderful." Ciel watched the trees pass the train, slowly resting his head back against the wall. His breath fogged up the window in front of his face. This was going to be a long train ride.


End file.
